Major Asia-Pacific carriers including Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Qantas, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific have accelerated a reshaping of their Europe-bound route networks in response to widespread airspace closures across the Middle East beginning February 28, 2026, steering long-haul traffic through alternative corridors and consolidating Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Istanbul as the region’s primary non-Gulf gateways to Europe.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Crisis trigger: U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026; airspace closed across Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Syria, Bahrain, and the UAE
- Qantas suspended non-stop QF9 Perth–London service from March 4, 2026, rerouting via Singapore; the Boeing 787-9 could not sustain full payload on detour routing around closed airspace; QF9 replaced by QF209/QF209A; approximately three hours added to journey time
- Business-class fares on the rerouted Kangaroo Route exceeded AUD 14,000 return for March 2026 departures
- Thai Airways confirmed all European flights are operating via alternative paths avoiding affected airspace, with slightly extended flight times; economy London–Bangkok fares reached approximately 71,000 THB (roughly £1,500) one-way in early March 2026
- Singapore Airlines and Scoot suspended all Middle East-bound services including SQ494/495 (Singapore–Dubai) and TR596/597 (Singapore–Jeddah)
- Malaysia Airlines cancelled selected services to Doha, Jeddah, and Madinah; reaffirmed core Europe services via safer corridors
- Cathay Pacific suspended remaining passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh
- Scoot launched Singapore–Vienna 3-weekly service on June 3, 2025, simultaneously replacing a Singapore–Berlin via Athens routing whose last flight operates March 28, 2026
- Thai Airways Bangkok–Amsterdam daily nonstop scheduled to launch July 1, 2026, using Airbus A350-900
The airspace crisis that grounded civilian operations across eight Middle Eastern countries from late February 2026 has done more than temporarily disrupt Gulf carrier schedules. It has accelerated a structural pivot among Asia-Pacific airlines already under way — away from Middle East hub dependency and toward a more diversified approach to reaching Europe.
Widespread airspace closures across parts of West Asia in late February and early March 2026 triggered one of the most dramatic reshuffles of Europe–Asia traffic since the pandemic, grounding thousands of flights and forcing carriers to improvise new paths between continents. Aviation tracking data and industry advisories show large swathes of airspace over Iran, Iraq and neighbouring states subject to restrictions, with GPS jamming and spoofing also reported along some key corridors.
Qantas Suspends Perth–London Nonstop, Reroutes Via Singapore
The most visible single operational consequence for the Australia–Europe corridor has been the suspension of Qantas’ flagship non-stop service. Qantas announced on March 3, 2026, that it was suspending its flagship non-stop flight between Perth International Airport and London Heathrow due to continuing airspace closures and security concerns across the Middle East. The flights, operating as QF9, now make a brief stopover at Singapore Changi Airport, allowing the aircraft to upload extra fuel for the protracted route. The Boeing 787-9 that normally operates the ultra-long-haul route could not sustain normal payload on the diversion around Iranian and Iraqi airspace. The rerouting became operational from March 4, 2026, adding at least three hours to the journey and replacing flight number QF9 with QF209.
With Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways still grounded, demand has funnelled into the Singapore-Europe Kangaroo Route, driving business-class fares above AUD 14,000 return for departures this month. Qantas has not given an end-date for the Singapore stopover, stating only that it will review the routing once Gulf airspace is declared safe by all relevant authorities.
British Airways and Qantas, long-standing partners on the Kangaroo Route, are leaning more heavily on Singapore as a shared transfer point. The Australian government and aviation sector are bracing for weeks of reduced capacity on the Australia–UK and Australia–Europe corridor as Gulf hubs that normally shoulder a significant share of the traffic remain constrained.
Singapore Changi Absorbs Rerouted Flows
Singapore Changi Airport has emerged as the primary beneficiary of the rerouting. Changi’s position at the southern edge of the main Middle East exclusion zones allows flights to reach Europe either by swinging north across India, Afghanistan and Central Asia or by taking more southerly tracks over the Arabian Sea and Egypt, depending on daily risk assessments. Travellers report Singapore–Europe flights operating broadly on time despite modestly lengthened flight durations, while services into Gulf cities see far higher cancellation and delay rates.
Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, operates a direct Singapore–Vienna service launched June 3, 2025, on a 3-weekly basis using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Scoot simultaneously suspended its Singapore–Berlin via Athens routing, with the last Berlin flight scheduled for March 28, 2026, leaving Singapore–Athens–Singapore as the remaining configuration following the suspension. This pre-existing network restructure has positioned Singapore as a nonstop option to Central Europe at a moment when demand for non-Gulf Europe routing is at an elevated level.
Thai Airways Maintains European Operations, Fares Climb
Thai Airways has maintained its European schedule through the crisis period, operating via alternative routing. Thai Airways International confirmed on March 1, 2026, that all flights are operating as scheduled despite unrest in certain areas of the Middle East. For European routes, Thai Airways is using alternative flight paths that avoid affected airspace, with flight times to and from Europe slightly extended as a result.
As of March 8, 2026, Thai Airways and British Airways have added extra capacity to the heavily trafficked London Heathrow–Bangkok Suvarnabhumi route. The price for a one-way economy ticket from London to Bangkok reached 71,000 THB — approximately £1,500 — in early March 2026.
Thai Airways Bangkok–Brussels service, relaunched December 1, 2024, after a pandemic-era suspension, continues to operate. The carrier has separately confirmed a Bangkok–Amsterdam daily nonstop service scheduled to begin July 1, 2026, using Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which will add a twelfth European destination to its network.
Malaysia Airlines And Cathay Pacific Rebalance Networks
Malaysia Airlines cancelled selected flights to and from Doha, Jeddah and Madinah in recent weeks as a precaution, while reaffirming its commitment to maintaining core Europe services via safer air corridors. Malaysian regulators urged all airlines serving the country to keep passengers closely informed of schedule changes.
In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific suspended its remaining passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh as tensions escalated, effectively turning Hong Kong into another important non-Gulf gateway for Asia–Europe traffic.
Turkish Airlines And The Northern Corridor
Turkish Airlines, long a rival to the Gulf carriers, is capitalising on its strategic geography at the edge of Europe to draw more connecting traffic from East and Southeast Asia. By threading routes through northern corridors that skirt the most sensitive Middle Eastern airspace, the Istanbul-based airline has positioned itself as a key alternative bridge between Asia and Europe for passengers wary of Gulf stopovers.
Longer-Term Structural Implications
The new Europe routes being built out by Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Qantas, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways and others represent the early contours of a more diversified, less Middle East-centric global air network.
Some analysts argue that continued geopolitical volatility across the Gulf could make a planned fuel stop in Singapore a useful contingency even for Qantas’ Project Sunrise next-generation aircraft expected to arrive from late 2026. If that thinking prevails, one of the world’s most important corporate travel corridors between Australia and Europe may look different in the decade ahead.
As of March 16, 2026, Qantas has not confirmed a resumption date for non-stop Perth–London operations. The Gulf airspace situation remains under active review by aviation regulators in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia.