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The war in the Middle East is increasingly disrupting international air traffic, forcing airlines to reroute long‑haul flights and pushing ticket prices to unprecedented levels. Yet despite the turmoil, Austrians are showing little desire to give up their holiday plans.
According to major travel providers Ruefa and TUI Austria, customers are not canceling trips outright. Instead, many are opting to rebook or postpone their journeys. Ruefa told the APA that guests “prefer to shift their travel dates rather than cancel altogether.” TUI Austria reports only isolated cancellations, with most travelers adjusting their itineraries instead of abandoning them.
Rerouted Flights Drive Prices Up
The conflict is affecting some of the world’s most important aviation hubs. Airports such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Bahrain typically handle around 526,000 passengers per day, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) noted. With many flights unable to operate on their usual routes, airlines are relying more heavily on alternative paths—where demand is now surging and prices are climbing sharply.
Recent examples illustrate the scale of the increase. In early March, flights between Vienna and Bangkok exceeded €5,000 in some cases. A Bloomberg analysis based on Google Flights data from March 12 found that an economy round‑trip from Sydney to London for April 3–10 rose by more than 80 percent within two weeks. Business‑class fares on the same route jumped by around 40 percent, while an economy ticket from Singapore to London nearly tripled.
Travel Agencies Scramble for Alternatives
Because Dubai and Doha serve as key gateways to destinations such as Thailand, Mauritius, and the Maldives, tour operators are now working to secure new flight connections. “We are facing the challenge of finding alternative routes for our customers,” said Ruefa managing director Michele Fanton.
For destinations currently under travel warning level 4, rebooking remains free of charge. According to Fanton, this policy will stay in place until March 31, 2026, after which standard terms and conditions will apply again.
Gulf Region Trips Affected
Not only long‑haul routes but also specific destinations in the Gulf region are impacted. Some Easter holiday bookings to Dubai or Oman have been canceled by tour operators themselves. Ruefa has suspended trips to the region and rebooked affected customers to other destinations.
TUI Austria is observing similar behavior. Many travelers are postponing planned Gulf trips until autumn or choosing alternative long‑haul destinations. “In recent days, we’ve seen particularly strong demand for the Dominican Republic and, on a smaller scale, for Japan,” the company said.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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