EXORBITANT CHARTER FLIGHTS

There are reports of some people paying up to 200,000 euros (US$232,000) for charter flights out of the region, to gateways in Europe.

Elie Hanna, CEO for the Middle East headquarters of Air Charter Service, based in Dubai, said most of the flights out of the region are leaving from Oman. The prices are so high, he said, because few charter planes are available since most of them are stuck at airports that are now closed.

The clients he is seeing range from people who regularly charter private, as well as people who generally fly commercial but are trying to pool resources with other travellers or families to share the expense.

“Everyone is stressed,” Hanna said. “To be honest, everyone is trying to accommodate as much as they can. Muscat Airport is overloaded with flights and everybody is stressed.”

 

HIGHER OPERATING COSTS & AIRFARES

Flights scheduled in the coming days and weeks could continue to see disruptions — causing ripple effects globally, especially as the war widens with retaliatory strikes in the Gulf states, home to major air travel hubs like Dubai.

Carriers cancelling flights or shift to longer routes is straining operating costs and ticket prices, both of which could become more expensive if airlines have to pay more for fuel the longer the war drags on.

It’s industry standard for carriers to pay “overflight fees” when flying through other countries’ airspace — which there could be more of now, said Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. And, of course, longer flights need more fuel.

“Those costs will be passed on to the passengers,” explained Bryan Terry, managing director at Alton Aviation Consultancy. If the conflict continues, he said, travellers should “anticipate that some carriers will likely impose fuel surcharges” or increase existing fees.

The costs of those longer routes — paired with oil prices that have already spiked since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks — could trickle down to consumers further ahead. The price of crude oil is a key component for jet fuel, which accounted for about 30% of airlines’ operating costs as of 2024, according to research from IATA.

With file from The Associated Press

Lead image caption: Light traffic moves along a main road in downtown Dubai, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)