Iran-Israel conflict: Private jet operators report surge in demand
After airspace over Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar closed on February 28 amid an escalation of hostilities involving Iran, demand for charter jets from India to West Asia jumped by 50%.
With thousands of flights canceled in a single day and airlines dropping routes, travelers are now facing longer detours and much higher costs.
Prices have shot up
As Indian airlines scrapped flights before evacuations could happen, private jet operators filled the gap by rerouting through Fujairah and Oman.
Sanjeev Sethi of Cloud Runner said midsize Dubai-India charters went from $70,000 to $100,000.
One-way quotes for large-cabin jets have risen
Charter prices have shot up: 13-seaters from Fujairah now cost up to $100,000 (up from $60,000-$70,000), while smaller Gulf-India jets are quoting ₹5 million to ₹7 million.
Some one-way quotes for large-cabin jets have risen to around €200,000 (roughly $210,000-$220,000), driven by limited aircraft availability and higher insurance, fuel and overflight costs.
Increased pressure at regional airports
Atom Aviation Services Pvt Ltd said it usually gets five-seven queries a month but received more than 70 queries in one week.
Aviation expert Mark D. Martin expects around 500 midsize jets will head to Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad soon, with so much traffic, operators report increased delays and pressure at regional airports (for example, Muscat and Jeddah).