Iran-Israel war: International airfares soar as Gulf crisis disrupts flights

International airfares from India have surged sharply as more than 700 flights are being cancelled daily due to the escalating conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel that has disrupted airspace across the Gulf region.

One-way economy class fares on direct flights from London to Mumbai operated by European carriers bypassing Gulf sectors climbed to nearly Rs 2.9 lakh on Monday, according to a report by Times of India. Business class fares on the same route touched around Rs 9 lakh.

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Under normal circumstances, economy fares on the sector range between Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000, while business class tickets are priced between Rs 1.2 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh. Air India and IndiGo also operated some flights at elevated fares, TOI reported.

Airlines said the hike was partly due to longer alternative routes to avoid the Gulf airspace, but largely driven by the demand-supply gap following widespread cancellations.

Hyderabad sees steep increase

Passengers flying from Hyderabad to cities such as London and Frankfurt are facing steep fare increases. As reported by Times of India, on Tuesday, one-way fares from Hyderabad to London ranged between Rs 65,000 and Rs 90,000, nearly double the usual fare. Fares to destinations in Germany have risen by 200% to 300%, travel agents said.

Long-haul routes to the US have also become costlier. Tickets from Hyderabad to New York via Ethiopia were priced at around Rs 1.5 lakh on Tuesday.

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Air connectivity between the UAE and Hyderabad remains severely hit. Around 5,000 passengers travel daily between the city and the UAE, its busiest international hub. On Monday alone, more than 50 flights were cancelled at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

Limited relief as UAE carriers resume some flights

In a relief to stranded passengers, UAE-based carriers Emirates, flydubai and Etihad Airways started operating a few flights from Monday, including services to India.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked Indian airlines to resume flights to airspaces that remain open, such as Oman and Saudi Arabia.

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Though Etihad started evacuation flights and Emirates said it would follow suit on Tuesday, with over 20,000 Indians stranded in the UAE, scheduled services on several routes were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday.

Kolkata airport officials said Gulf-based carriers cancelled 20 flights over two days.

(With TOI inputs)