Surging Air Fares Upend Global Travel as Peak Season Nears (1)

The widening war with Iran that’s roiled global travel is hitting Asia–Europe routes especially hard, sending fares soaring and leaving travelers facing record prices ahead of the Easter rush.

A cascade of more than 46,000 flight cancellations has been triggered across the region since the conflict began on Feb. 28, according to data from Cirium Ltd. The crisis wiped out as much as 10% of global airline capacity earlier this month, in the biggest aviation shock since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sudden capacity drop from Gulf airport closures has sent airfares soaring on some key routes. One economy class round-trip ...