How the Iran war is disrupting air travel — and advice if you're planning a trip

## Summary
Your Money How the Iran war is disrupting air travel — and advice if you're planning a trip March 11, 2026 11:55 AM ET By Bill Chappell The U.S. and other nations have agreed to tap into oil reserves, but the move might not do much to bring jet fuel prices down rapidly, an expert tells NPR. Airlines warn that ticket prices will rise with fuel costs The war's effect on travel was sudden and striking, resulting in the cancellation of more than 46,000 flights in and out of the Middle East from Feb. 28 — when the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran — to March 11, according to Cirium, the aviation analytics company. The price for a gallon of jet fuel soared close to $4 in the first week of the war, prompting United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby to say on Friday that airfare price hikes from higher fuel costs would "probably start quick." As they absorb higher fuel costs, airlines could adjust prices higher across the board, or they might tuck an increase into premium fares, where they'll be less noticeable, Cudahy of The Points Guy says. Everyone wants to be sure that they have coverage of a critical need." Middle East conflict Crude oil prices swing wildly as the Iran war stretches on Both Cudahy and Joswick compare the Iran conflict's ripple effects to Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which set off flight disruptions and higher fuel prices.

## Article Content
Your Money
How the Iran war is disrupting air travel — and advice if you're planning a trip
March 11, 2026
11:55 AM ET
By
Bill Chappell
The U.S. and other nations have agreed to tap into oil reserves, but the move might not do much to bring jet fuel prices down rapidly, an expert tells NPR. It's one way violence in the Middle East can affect flights around the world. Here, an Emirates airliner prepares to land at Dubai's main airport on Sunday.
AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
The war in Iran is rattling the aviation industry, from flight cancellations to rising costs for jet fuel. So if you're planning to travel this spring or summer, should you grab a ticket now, or wait?
"You should go ahead and book," says Sean Cudahy, an aviation reporter at
The Points Guy
travel and personal finance website.
Middle East conflict
Some Middle East flights resume, but thousands of travelers are still stranded by war
It's generally recommended to buy international flights further in advance than domestic trips. But in the current circumstances, Cudahy says he would go ahead and book even domestic flights.
His advice is a sign of how the Middle East conflict is rippling outward, affecting prices and itineraries around the world, beyond the thousands of travelers who were stuck after the war forced a barrage of flight cancellations.
Airlines warn that ticket prices will rise with fuel costs
The war's effect on travel was sudden and striking, resulting in the cancellation of more than 46,000 flights in and out of the Middle East from Feb. 28 — when the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran — to March 11, according to Cirium, the aviation analytics company.
That includes Dubai International, the busiest airport in the world for international travel, according to
Airports Council International
, along with popular hubs in Doha and Abu Dhabi.
But even airlines far from the Mideast are facing a sudden surge in a core expense: jet fuel. At the beginning of the year, a gallon of jet fuel cost $2.11; by March 10, the price rose to $3.40, according to the
Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index
, a gain of more than 60%.
Middle East conflict
Countries agree to a historic release of stockpiled oil to ease global disruption
The spike came after tanker traffic
through the Strait of Hormuz
came to a virtual halt, as Iran announced it would close the waterway that normally handles about 20% of the world's oil and liquified natural gas.
Mideast refineries had been sending some 470,000 barrels of jet fuel each day through the strait to airports in Europe and elsewhere, says Rick Joswick, who heads the near-term oil analytics team at S&P Global.
The price for a gallon of jet fuel soared close to $4 in the first week of the war, prompting United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby
to say on Friday
that airfare price hikes from higher fuel costs would "probably start quick."
As they absorb higher fuel costs, airlines could adjust prices higher across the board, or they might tuck an increase into premium fares, where they'll be less noticeable, Cudahy of The Points Guy says.
Several airlines have publicly confirmed that they'll be raising prices to compensate, as
Reuters reports
. Other carriers, such as Japan Airlines,
publish a schedule
of fuel surcharges triggered by cost increases.
"I do think that this is ultimately going to lead to higher fares for everyone," Cudahy says. "The only question now is how significant and how long does it last?"
Air travelers stranded by the Iran conflict are greeted in Athens, Greece, after arriving on a charter flight from Dubai on Saturday.
Giannis Antwnoglou/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images
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toggle caption
Giannis Antwnoglou/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images
Crisis parallels earlier global disruptions
The higher fuel prices reflect a genuine struggle to ensure the aviation industry has ample supplies, says Joswick.
"It's not irrational. It's not some trader bidding up prices," he says. Comparing the situation to the COVID-19 pandemic, he adds, "The consumption of toilet paper didn't change. But you notice that all of the supermarkets ran out of toilet paper, right? Everyone wants to be sure that they have coverage of a critical need."
Middle East conflict
Crude oil prices swing wildly as the Iran war stretches on
Both Cudahy and Joswick compare the Iran conflict's ripple effects to Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which set off flight disruptions and higher fuel prices. As long as the Strait of Hormuz is closed, Joswick says, prices will keep rising.
"If that were to persist, this would be like a
1979 kind of [oil] crisis
," he says. "Anything over a month, and you're seeing a substantial long-term price increase until the flows are restored."
The U.S. and other large economies can mitigate those effects by tapping strategic oil reserves — which they
opted to do on Wednesday
. But Joswick predicts that while such a move can help ensure adequate oil supplies, it might not

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Other carriers, such as Japan Airlines, publish a schedule of fuel surcharges triggered by cost increases. "I do think that this is ultimately going to lead to higher fares for everyone," Cudahy says. "The only question now is how significant and how long does it last?" Air travelers stranded by the Iran conflict are greeted in Athens, Greece, after arriving on a charter flight from Dubai on Saturday.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- Your Money How the Iran war is disrupting air travel — and advice if you're planning a trip March 11, 2026 11:55 AM ET By Bill Chappell The U.S. and other nations have agreed to tap into oil reserves, but the move might not do much to bring jet fuel prices down rapidly, an expert tells NPR.
- It's one way violence in the Middle East can affect flights around the world.
- So if you're planning to travel this spring or summer, should you grab a ticket now, or wait? "You should go ahead and book," says Sean Cudahy, an aviation reporter at The Points Guy travel and personal finance website.
- Airlines warn that ticket prices will rise with fuel costs The war's effect on travel was sudden and striking, resulting in the cancellation of more than 46,000 flights in and out of the Middle East from Feb. 28 — when the U.S. and Israel began bombing Iran — to March 11, according to Cirium, the aviation analytics company.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers fuel, jet, prices topics. Notable strengths include discussion of fuel. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1183.