With airspaces closed over major air travel transfer hubs due to the Middle East conflict, Lufthansa reports a spike in demand for direct connections to Asia and Africa. Meanwhile many travellers have to change their plans.
Lufthansa is experiencing a sharp increase in demand for direct flights from Europe to Asia and Africa due to the Middle East conflict.
With the major transfer hubs in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi all effectively shut down, the Lufthansa Group says it is looking into increasing direct connections to Singapore, India, China and South Africa.
US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran, and Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region, mean that a number of countries have closed their airspace.
Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, and high tensions between Russia and the European Union, also mean that air travel over those countries is highly restricted.
“The massive bundling of global traffic flows via the Gulf hubs is increasingly proving to be a geopolitical Achilles’ heel,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said recently during the company’s annual review.
Connections from Europe to Asia, Africa and Australia are all currently affected.
Passenger impacts
Tens of thousands of tourists remain stranded in Gulf, awaiting flights that are departing sporadically.
The war has also caused major disruptions even in far-flung parts of the world, since the Gulf is a major air hub.
For example, thousands of holidaymakers have been left stuck on the popular Indonesian island destination of Bali.
German President’s trip cancelled
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has postponed a planned trip to Indonesia and the Philippines because of flight planning issues due to the US-Israeli war against Iran, a spokeswoman said Thursday.
Steinmeier had been due to fly to Jakarta on Sunday for the six-day trip, with an onward flight to Manila scheduled for Wednesday.
There are currently no “sufficiently safe and feasible” flights available, his spokeswoman told AFP on Thursday.
It remains unclear when Steinmeier’s trip might be rescheduled.
With reporting by AFP and DPA.
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