Economy-class fares to Paris, Rome and New York surge while cheapest return flight to Tokyo costs nearly HK$5,000
Airfares from Hong Kong to European, South American and even some Asian destinations have surged amid the latest geopolitical tensions, according to industry insiders, especially on routes that typically transit through Middle Eastern aviation hubs.
The latest escalation has thrown Middle Eastern airspace into chaos, grounding tens of thousands of flights and stranding passengers across major aviation hubs. It has also pushed airfares higher as fuel prices surge and flights are diverted.
The lowest economy-class return fare to Paris departing on Thursday was HK$17,670 (US$2,260), while some airlines charged up to HK$91,776 as economy seats were unavailable on certain legs, according to Google Flights. All listed travel times exceeded 20 hours, with direct flights already sold out.
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To Rome, the lowest economy-class fare was listed at HK$10,736 with Dubai-based Emirates, while other options rose as high as HK$135,072 due to mixed cabin classes caused by limited seat availability.
Source: News - South China Morning Post
