Kuwait City: Air travel across the world is facing major disruption as tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran intensify, leading to a sharp rise in flight ticket prices.
Flight cancellations and a surge in fuel costs have pushed airfares significantly higher. Industry estimates suggest that the world’s top 20 airlines could face losses of up to $53 billion, although experts note that these figures are not officially confirmed.
With several routes affected and flight frequencies reduced, demand has increased, driving up ticket prices. Reports of fare hikes between 200 percent and 300 percent are largely considered exaggerated, with such extreme increases limited to specific cases.
Rising oil prices, which have crossed $100 per barrel, have led many airlines to increase fuel surcharges. On some Middle East routes, ticket prices have reportedly risen between 11 percent and 135 percent.
Airlines are also rerouting flights to avoid high-risk airspace, while many services have been suspended altogether. Gulf carriers have been particularly affected, with Qatar Airways reportedly cancelling around 80 percent of its Middle East operations on March 18, and British Airways cancelling about 65 percent of its services in the region.
Experts say this is one of the biggest challenges the global aviation industry has faced since the COVID-19 pandemic.
