Air travel to Middle East falls 26% since start of Israel–Gaza conflict

New data on the impact of the Israel–Hamas war on air travel shows that the number of tickets to the Middle East has fallen from 13% above pre-pandemic levels to 13% below in the weeks before and after the start of the war, respectively.

Global air travel fell from 15% below pre-pandemic levels during the three weeks before the war broke out to 20% below in the three weeks after, according to ForwardKeys data.

Olivier Ponti, VP Insights, ForwardKeys, said the “catastrophic, heartbreaking human tragedy” seen daily on TV screens had been bound to put people off travelling to the region, but it had also dented consumer confidence in travelling elsewhere.

As of October 6, bookings showed that global air travel in the fourth quarter of 2023 would reach 95% of its level in 2019, but as of October 27, the outlook has fallen back to 88%, he said. 

“The equivalent change in outlook for the Middle East is much more sobering, falling back 16% to 110%, from 126% before the war began,” he said.

ForwardKeys data shows that the change in air travel levels to other regions since the start of the war is less marked but still present. Travel to Europe was down 18% compared to pre-pandemic levels prior to the war, but it fell to 21% below in the three weeks after.

To the Americas, travel was down 3% down, and it fell further to 9%. Only Africa saw air travel increase, up from 17% below pre-pandemic levels to 15% below after the war began.