As Iran war closes Middle East skies, how high can Cathay Pacific fares fly?
Cathay fares to Hong Kong surge 93 per cent on average for Saturday departures compared with typical prices over past 12 months
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran and subsequent retaliatory strikes that spilled over into neighbouring Gulf states over the course of a week have forced much of the Middle East’s airspace to remain closed, pushing airfares higher globally as airlines and passengers scramble to divert and rebook flights.
An SCMP reporter tracked ticket prices for the earliest available direct flights by Cathay Pacific from 57 destinations across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa – all routes available outside the Middle East, mainland China and Taiwan.
On average, the cheapest available ticket price for flights departing from Saturday onwards has surged by 93 per cent compared with the upper range of typical prices tracked by Google Flights over the past 12 months.
Airfares on routes from Europe saw the steepest surges. While one-way economy tickets were unavailable, the cheapest business-class seat on Cathay’s London-Hong Kong flight on Saturday cost HK$53,486 (US$6,837).
The cheapest option for any class in March “usually” ranged from HK$5,400 to HK$7,400, according to Google Flights.