Flydubai Suspension Sparks Major Price Hikes for Flights from Israel to Asia

The suspension of Flydubai flights to Israel has led to a dramatic increase in airfare prices for Asian destinations, with some routes seeing fares more than quadruple. The airline was a significant carrier for Israeli passengers traveling to Asia via Dubai. The price surge, first reported by Ynet on October 5, affects both immediate departures and winter travel.

The most significant price jump was observed on the Tel Aviv to Manila route with a layover in Abu Dhabi. Before the incident, a one-way ticket cost approximately $447. Following the suspension, the same route was priced at $1966, a more than fourfold increase, with limited availability even at this higher cost. By October 7, tickets to Manila were around $1200 one-way, and by October 9-12, only business class seats at about $2500 were available. By mid-October, prices began to stabilize, with some economy seats available for around $1100 and more reasonable fares of approximately $587 appearing around October 17.

Etihad Airways remains the sole airline operating direct flights between Tel Aviv and the UAE, having increased its Abu Dhabi flights from two to eight daily. However, this increase is insufficient to compensate for the loss of capacity, particularly for travelers continuing to Asia. Similar price hikes have been noted for other popular destinations, including Phuket, Tokyo, and Sri Lanka, with round-trip tickets to Phuket costing between $1958 and $2421, and flights to Tokyo starting from $2611.

Even flights with layovers in Europe are not offering savings. Arkia's round-trip flights to Phuket were priced from $2198, and to Bangkok from $2498. El Al offered direct flights to Bangkok from $1658 and to Tokyo from $1758. Lufthansa and Austrian flights with European layovers started at $2611.

Prices for January 2027 have also risen significantly. According to Ofir Tours, round-trip tickets to Bangkok with Arkia increased by about 65% to $1978, El Al by 50% to $1800, LOT by approximately 51% to $1250, and Ethiopian Airlines by about 43% to $1212.

Roni Waxman, Deputy Chairman of Ofir Tours, attributes the price increases to the loss of a substantial number of seats on connecting routes. Dubai serves as a crucial transit hub for Israelis traveling to destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and India. The increased demand is now shifting to Israeli carriers and other foreign airlines that continue to operate. Waxman predicts further price increases if the suspension is prolonged, especially during peak travel seasons, and advises passengers to book flights as soon as possible.