Airline ticket prices soar on Asia-Europe routes after Gulf airport closures
The Hindu
Airline ticket prices rise sharply on Asia-Europe routes due to Gulf airport closures amid escalating regional tensions.
The price of flights between Asia and Europe has soared after the closure of key West Asian hubs due to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, with airline websites showing tickets on many popular routes booked out for days. Major Gulf hubs, including the world's busiest international airport Dubai - which normally handles over 1,000 flights a day - remained closed for a fourth day on Tuesday (March 3, 2026), slashing capacity on popular routes like Australia to Europe, where Emirates and Qatar Airways normally have a high market share.
Australia's Flight Centre Travel Group has experienced a 75% increase in calls to its stores and emergency assistance lines since the crisis began, with teams having to work around the clock to help customers.
Global Managing Director Andrew Stark said Australians were rebooking flights through alternative hubs in China, Singapore and the United States.
Charlotte Kennard and her father Richard were among those affected.
They were due to fly from Birmingham to Sydney via Dubai on Emirates on Sunday (March 1, 2026) but were caught in the disruption.
Although the airline said it was "monitoring the situation" and would update them 24 hours before departure, none came and they arrived at the airport to find the flight cancelled, she said.
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