The price of ‌flights between Asia and Europe has soared after the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs due to the US-Israel war against Iran, with airline websites showing tickets on many popular routes booked ‌out for days.

Major Gulf hubs, including the world’s busiest international airport Dubai — which normally handles over 1000 flights a day — remained closed for a fourth day on Tuesday.

The closures mean capacity has been slashed on ‌popular routes such as Australia to Europe, where Emirates and Qatar Airways normally have a high market share.

Australia’s Flight Centre Travel Group said calls to its stores and emergency assistance lines had leapt 75 per cent since the crisis began. Global managing director Andrew Stark said it had teams working around the clock to help disrupted customers.

“Australians are very resilient and are already rebooking flights to the UK/Europe via alternative routes via China, Singapore, and other Asian hubs, as well as North America via hubs such as Houston,” he said.

Carriers that offer non-stop ‌Asia-Europe flights can bypass the closed Middle Eastern ⁠airspace by flying north via the Caucasus then Afghanistan or south via Egypt then Saudi then Oman.

But it may add ​to flight times and fuel use, driving up costs at a time when oil prices have spiked. Over the longer-term, that could leave to even higher fares.

“Right now the whole of the Middle East is out of bounds, which is a high price for some airlines,” said Subhas Menon, head of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

“If then Europe can only be served at a high cost, airline profitability will be undermined. At the end of the day, the price to pay is connectivity.”

Alton Aviation Consultancy said airlines ⁠operating non-stop services or through alternate hubs outside the affected region – including Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore ‌Airlines and Turkish Airlines – might have short-term gains as passengers shifted away from Gulf-based carriers.

Reuters’ checks of several airlines’ websites on Tuesday showed few near-term bookings available and high prices on offer for flights from ​Asia to London.

Cathay ‌Pacific’s website showed no available economy-class seats on the Hong Kong-London route until March 11. On that day, a one-way ticket costs at least $HK21,158 ($3816), falling to ​a more normal $HK5054 later in the month.

For flights from Sydney to London, Qantas Airways has no economy class tickets on its normal Perth and Singapore routings until March 17, when a one-way flight is available for $3129.

For earlier dates, it has pricey options with non-traditional stopovers such as Los Angeles and Johannesburg.

Thai ​Airways is fully booked for Europe-bound flights as European tourists opt for direct routes rather ​than transiting through the Middle East, Thailand’s Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.

A search ‌of the Thai Airways site for travel from Bangkok to London showed tickets were sold out until late next week, and then fares were high.

Taiwan’s EVA Airways said bookings for its Europe-bound flights had surged as Asian and European passengers sought alternative routing options.

-AAP