by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:50 PM ET, Wed March 4, 2026
The conflict in the Middle East and the closure of key airports is impacting the cost of airline tickets and connectivity in the region.
The price of flights between Asia and Europe in particular have been impacted by the U.S. - Israel war on Iran, according to Reuters.
Major regional hubs, such as Dubai, which normally handles more than 1,000 flights each day, are closed for a fourth day after the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran. That in turn, has caused reduced capacity on airline routes connecting Australia to Europe.
Australians impacted by the development have had to scramble to rebook flights through alternative locations such as China, Singapore and the United States.
Airlines that offer non-stop Asia-Europe flights have been less impacted by developments in the Middle East, and have instead bypassed the closed Middle Eastern airspace by flying north via the Caucasus then Afghanistan or south via Egypt then Saudi then Oman, per Reuters.
That alternative however, adds flight times and fuel usage, driving up costs for airlines. Those additional costs could trigger higher airline tickets over time.
"Right now the whole of the Middle East is out of bounds, which is a high price for some airlines," said Subhas Menon, head of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, according to Reuters.
"If then Europe can only be served at a high cost, airline profitability will be undermined. At the end of the day, the price to pay is connectivity.”
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