The Dubai International Airport, which has long been regarded as a safe and luxurious destination, is now witnessing a complete revamp for the worse amid the ongoing Iran war. As Gulf nations are bearing the brunt of a series of hostile military actions in the wake of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death in Tehran, tens of thousands of airline passengers have been stranded at airports. (Read more updates here.)
However, those who can afford to pay the big bills are taking their chance with high-priced charter flights to flee the United Arab Emirates, which is currently emerging as a hub of uncertainty. According to a new AP report, some travellers have opted for luxury private flights bound for Europe via airports that are safe from Iranian drone and missile attacks.
This has led some travellers to pay up to 200,000 euros (USD 232,000), while major airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha remain closed since the start of the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran since last weekend.
Demand for private flights on the rise amid Dubai turmoil
In a dire situation like this, air travellers are ditching Dubai by evacuating to other overland locations like Muscat, Oman, which is about a four-hour drive away. Some are even opting to go the distance to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is more than 10 hours away. When finally there, passengers are choosing to board one of the few available commercial flights or are taking a charter flight. Given the circumstances, prices for the same skyrocketed beyond comprehension amid severely high demand.
Altay Kula, CEO of the France-based private jet broker JET-VIP, pointed out that it was near impossible to cater to the sharply rising demand for aircraft, as per the AP report. He further disclosed that while a charter flight on a private jet that can accommodate up to 16 passengers from Riyadh to Porto, Portugal, generally cost around 100,000 euros (USD 115,800) these days, the cost has simply doubled these days.
He attributed the same to “aircraft’s scarcity, the repositioning costs as well, and the operator risk assessments.”
Meanwhile, Ameerh Naran, CEO of Vimana Private Jets noted that prices depend on the departure point. And so, flights from the Gulf region to Europe, prices are ranging from 150,000 euros (USD 173,800) to 200,000 euros. His clients include business executives, families, entrepreneurs and even remote workers based in the region.
A previously published Guardian report also revealed that JET-VIP is charging about 85,000 euros for a flight to Istanbul on a Nextant, which is one of the smallest jets available.
Even getting to functional airports in Riyadh and Muscat is a hassle, as people end up relying on private security companies to coordinate transportation in vehicles ranging from ordinary passenger cars to coach buses. On top of that, heavy traffic, which is further exacerbated by wait times at border points with Oman, can stretch into hours, with costs crossing the thousands of dollar range, said Ian McCaul, operations and planning director with Alma Risk, a UK-based risk management and security firm.
McCaul also highlighted that most people fleeing at the moment are stranded travellers, not residents. Estimating his own company’s involvement amid this chaos, he said that the firm has made transfer arrangements for more than 200 people and advised several others in recent days.
Elie Hanna, CEO for the Middle East headquarters of Air Charter Service, based in Dubai, also echoed the same thoughts, saying that high prices were attributed to the scarcity of charter planes, with most of them being stuck at airports that are now closed.
“Everyone is stressed,” Hanna said. “To be honest, everyone is trying to accommodate as much as they can. Muscat Airport is overloaded with flights, and everybody is stressed.”
UAE air travel chaos continues
While most passengers still remain in travel limbo, several airlines did offer some relief for travellers on Monday and Tuesday by resuming a small number of flights from the UAE. Based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Etihad Airways and Emirate and budget carrier Flydubai said they would operate select flights from the country despite air traffic turmoil.
In the meantime, some repatriation flights have also managed to leave the country. Dubai’s government explicitly told passengers to reach airports only if they are contacted directly amid a “limited resumption of operations.” According to flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 80% of the flights scheduled to and from Dubai and more than half of the flights to and from Abu Dhabi stand cancelled.
Seven major airports impacted right now are Dubai International, Hamad International Airport in Doha, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah International Airport, Kuwait International Airport, Bahrain International Airport, and Dubai World Central, as per Flightradar24.