Asia Europe airfares surge as Middle East airspace closures disrupt travel

Thursday 05 March 2026 - 17:00

By: Dakir Madiha

Asia Europe airfares surge as Middle East airspace closures disrupt travel

Airfares between Asia and Europe have surged dramatically after airspace closures across the Middle East disrupted global flight routes, forcing travelers to rely on a limited number of direct connections operated by Asian carriers.

On March 5, a one way economy class ticket from London Heathrow to Singapore on Singapore Airlines reached 66,767 Hong Kong dollars, about 10,900 US dollars. The price represented a roughly 900 percent increase compared with fares available later in the month.

The spike followed a collapse in airline capacity across the Gulf region after US and Israeli strikes in Iran beginning on February 28 triggered retaliatory actions and widespread airspace closures. Civil aviation restrictions were imposed in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria and Bahrain.

According to aviation data firm Cirium, more than 23,000 flights had been canceled by March 5. The suspension of operations by major Gulf carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad removed more than 10 percent of daily global international flight capacity measured in available seat kilometers, according to estimates from aviation consultancy OAG Aviation.

Airlines capable of flying directly between Asia and Europe, often routing flights through the Caucasus or via Egypt and Oman to avoid the conflict zone, are experiencing an extraordinary surge in demand.

Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong to London route showed no economy class availability until March 11. The cheapest one way ticket was priced at 21,158 Hong Kong dollars, or about 2,705 US dollars, compared with roughly 5,054 Hong Kong dollars later in the month. On a March 9 direct Cathay Pacific flight, a single remaining economy seat was listed at 53,614 Hong Kong dollars, around 6,850 US dollars, according to the South China Morning Post.

Qantas Airways also reported extremely limited availability. Its Sydney to London service showed no economy seats available until March 17, with fares starting at about 3,129 Australian dollars, or roughly 2,220 US dollars.

Thai Airways reported fully booked flights to Europe, with one way economy tickets from Bangkok to London available only from March 15 and priced from 71,190 baht, about 2,265 US dollars.

Airlines in India have launched large scale repatriation efforts to assist stranded travelers in the Gulf region. The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation said Air India, IndiGo and Air India Express scheduled 58 flights on Wednesday to bring passengers home, following 33 flights the previous day. Air India confirmed the deployment of a Boeing 777 flight on the Mumbai Dubai Delhi route to transport affected passengers.

Qatar Airways has also arranged limited rescue flights from Muscat to six European destinations including London, Berlin and Rome. These flights marked the airline’s first operations since the closure of its Doha hub, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24.

While Asian airlines are benefiting from the surge in demand, analysts caution that the gains may be temporary. Aviation consultant Linus Benjamin Bauer said the current situation represents a redistribution of passenger traffic rather than a structural shift in global airline networks.

Analysts at DBS Bank also noted that air travel patterns typically return to normal once airspace reopens. Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, warned that the closure of Middle Eastern airspace creates significant operational costs and could ultimately undermine airline profitability if long detours and expensive routes persist.