Qantas Airways raises international airfares as fuel costs surge due to Middle East conflict

Qantas Airways said on Tuesday it will increase fares on its international routes this week after jet fuel prices rose following the conflict in the Middle East. The airline said higher fuel costs linked to the US‑Israeli war on Iran are affecting operating expenses and global travel demand.

The Australian flag carrier said it is also considering adding more capacity on its existing routes to Europe in the coming months. The conflict has pushed oil prices higher and raised concerns across the aviation sector about disruptions to travel and possible grounding of aircraft.

Airlines have already seen ticket prices rise on routes between Asia and Europe as airspace closures and capacity constraints reduce available flights.Air New Zealand announced broader increases in ticket prices earlier in the day. The airline is among the first carriers to raise fares since the start of the war.

European routes operating at high capacity

In a statement to Reuters, Qantas said flights on its European routes are continuing to operate as scheduled and demand remains strong.

The airline said flights to Europe were more than 90% full in March, around 15 percentage points higher than typical levels for this time of the year.

The airline said, "More customers have also been choosing to travel to Europe via the United States, other Asian cities, and Johannesburg, connecting through Qantas' partner airline network."

Qantas added, "We are exploring options to redeploy capacity into Europe on existing routes in the coming months."

(With inputs from Reuters)