Bangkok: Ticket prices have surged as Asian and European routes experience high demand following the closure of Middle Eastern airports due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The major aviation hubs in the Persian Gulf, notably Dubai International Airport, remain closed for the fourth consecutive day, severely impacting passenger capacity on routes between Australia and Europe, where Emirates and Qatar Airways typically maintain a strong market presence.
According to Thai News Agency, Andrew Stark, CEO of Flight Centre Travel Group, reported a 75 percent increase in calls to stores and emergency hotlines since the onset of the crisis. In response, the company has activated 24-hour teams to support customers affected by the travel disruptions. Stark noted that Australians have shown resilience and adaptability, opting for alternative routes to the UK and Europe, including Asian connections through China and Singapore, and North American routes via Houston.
For Asia-Europe routes, airlines are adjusting their paths to bypass the closed Middle Eastern airspace, either by flying north through the Caucasus Mountains and into Afghanistan or south through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. These route adjustments could result in longer flight times and increased fuel consumption, potentially leading to higher fares amid elevated oil prices.
Thai Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn disclosed that Thai Airways is experiencing full occupancy on its European flights as travelers prefer direct flights over Middle Eastern connections. A search on the Thai Airways website shows the Bangkok-London route is sold out until the end of next week, with one-way economy tickets priced at 71,190 baht for March 15th, dropping to 27,045 baht by March 18th.
Other airlines are facing similar situations:
- Cathay Pacific's economy class on the Hong Kong-London route is fully booked until March 11th, with one-way tickets priced at HK$21,158 (around 92,000 THB).
- Qantas has no economy class tickets available on the Sydney-London routes until March 17th, with fares starting at AUD 3,129 (approximately THB 75,500).
- Air China's Beijing-London route on Wednesday is only offering business class tickets at a one-way price of 50,490 yuan (approximately 246,000 baht), which is significantly higher than the usual round-trip economy class price of no more than 10,000 yuan.