Abu dhabi: Airlines in the Middle East have begun resuming limited services as Emirates and Etihad Airways restarted flights on key routes from their UAE hubs, despite continued missile threats that have pressured airlines to manage stranded passengers promptly.
According to Thai News Agency, with most airspace in the Middle East remaining closed due to security concerns over missiles and drones following the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, authorities in many countries have had to arrange charter flights and reserve seats on limited commercial flights to evacuate tens of thousands of people from the area. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot disclosed that an Air France charter flight tasked with bringing French citizens out of the United Arab Emirates was forced to turn back on Thursday due to a missile strike in the area, highlighting the region's instability and the complexities of repatriation operations.
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, announced that it will resume limited scheduled flights until March 19, covering approximately 70 destinations including London, Paris, Frankfurt, New Delhi, New York, Toronto, and Tel Aviv. Emirates, based in Dubai, stated it has reduced its flights to 82 destinations, including Sydney, Singapore, and London, until further notice, with only connecting passengers being accepted in Dubai if available. Data from Flightradar24 indicates that air traffic at Dubai Airport has almost doubled compared to Wednesday, although it remains at only 25% of normal levels.
The crisis has significantly impacted passengers on routes between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad typically handle a substantial portion of passengers from Europe to Asia and more than half of passengers from Europe to Australia and New Zealand. Currently, Qatar's Doha hub remains closed, and limited relief flights are being operated via Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Data from Cirium, an aviation data analytics company, reveals that since the conflict began on February 28, more than 25,000 flights to and from the Middle East have been cancelled out of a total of 44,000 scheduled flights. This disruption adds to the challenges faced by airlines in the region.
In addition to travel disruptions, soaring jet fuel prices have worsened the situation. Jet fuel prices in Singapore reached a record high of US$225 per barrel, or approximately 7,875 Thai baht, this week amid concerns about supply shortages from refineries in the Middle East. Prices later rebounded to around US$195, or approximately 6,825 Thai baht, on Thursday, yet they remain almost double the previous week's level. Fitch Ratings analyzed that, besides lost revenue, airlines are also burdened with increased fuel costs, even though most airlines in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have hedged 50 to 80 percent of their fuel price for the next three months.