Iran conflict triggers mass flight cancellations, airfares surge up to 10x on key international routes

Air ticket prices on key international routes jumped sharply on Tuesday as the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel disrupted airspace across West Asia and led to hundreds of flight cancellations.

A one-way economy class fare on a direct London to Mumbai flight operated by European carriers that avoid Gulf routes rose to around ₹2.9 lakh. Business class fares on the same sector touched a staggering ₹9 lakh.

Under normal conditions, economy fares between the two cities range between ₹20,000 and ₹40,000 while business class tickets typically cost between ₹1.2 lakh and ₹2.5 lakh. Even Air India and IndiGo were seen operating some flights at record-high fares.

Airlines said fares rose partly because of longer flight paths taken to bypass the Gulf region. However, the bigger reason was a demand-supply mismatch, with more than 700 flights being cancelled daily due to the hostilities.

Over 700 daily cancellations

The situation has caused large-scale disruption across Indian airports. Though Etihad Airways began evacuation flights and Emirates said it would follow from Tuesday, both airlines cancelled scheduled services on Monday and Tuesday. More than 20,000 Indians are currently stranded in the UAE.

Officials at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata said Gulf carriers cancelled 20 flights over two days.

Travel agents said many passengers have been advised to postpone non-essential trips to the Gulf, Europe, and the US.

Fares spike across routes

Passengers flying from Hyderabad to cities such as London and Frankfurt are also facing steep fare hikes. On Tuesday, one-way tickets from Hyderabad to London were priced between ₹65,000 and ₹90,000, nearly double the usual rate. Fares to destinations in Germany have increased by 200% to 300%, according to travel agents.

Long-haul routes to the US have also become more expensive. Tickets from Hyderabad to New York via Ethiopia were selling at around ₹1.5 lakh on Tuesday.

Air connectivity between the UAE and Hyderabad remains severely affected. Around 5,000 passengers travel daily between the city and the UAE, making it Hyderabad’s busiest international sector. On Monday alone, more than 50 flights were cancelled at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

With uncertainty continuing in the Gulf region, airlines and passengers are bracing for further disruptions and elevated fares in the coming days.