MUSCAT : The prolonged shutdown of Dubai International (DXB), Abu Dhabi, and Doha – triggered by escalating regional tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran – has entered its fourth day, forcing airlines to reroute flights, reducing capacity on key routes and leaving travellers scrambling for alternatives.

Dubai International, one of the world’s busiest airports, has been unable to operate its usual 1,000 daily flights, causing widespread cancellations for carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways.

A search of airline registries on Tuesday revealed that direct economy flights from Hong Kong to London are sold out until March 11, with prices exceeding HK$21,000 (RO 1035.13) for the few available seats. Flights from Sydney to London are similarly constrained, with one-way economy fares surpassing A$3,100 (RO 846.15).

To bypass the ‘out of bounds’ Middle Eastern airspace, carriers are adopting costly alternative routes. Flights are currently being diverted north via the Caucasus and Afghanistan, or south through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.

Industry analysts at Alton Aviation Consultancy note that non-Gulf carriers, including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, are seeing a massive spike in bookings as passengers flee disrupted hubs. However, these alternatives come with longer flight times and increased fuel consumption, exacerbated by spiking global oil prices.

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