Air fares climb as Middle East conflict pushes up long-haul prices

Flying abroad is getting more expensive, particularly on long-haul routes. Official inflation figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published on 16 September 2026, show air fares rose 6.2% between July and August. Over the same period last year, the rise was 2.1%.

The ONS said long-haul fares went up in August, whereas they fell a year earlier, and linked this to the conflict in the Middle East, which began on 28 February 2026. Its July figures, published on 19 August, showed an even sharper gap. Long-haul fares jumped 31.7% between June and July, while fares to European destinations fell 4.3%. The ONS put this down partly to reduced capacity on Middle Eastern routes.

Overall, consumer price inflation rose to 3.1% in August, from 2.9% in July. The main cause was higher fuel prices.

What this means for you

If you're planning a long-haul trip, particularly one that would normally route via a Gulf hub, expect higher prices and fewer flights. Short-haul European trips have been less affected so far. Package holidays actually pulled inflation down slightly in August.

Ways to save

• Compare routes, not just airlines. If direct or Gulf-hub flights are expensive, look at connections through European or Asian hubs. A flight search that shows you all routes makes this easier.
• Price up a package. ATOL-protected packages bundle flights and hotel, and can work out cheaper than booking each separately. They also give you more protection if things go wrong.
• Be flexible on dates. Using flexible-date or month-view searches can show big differences between days, especially outside school holidays.

Sources: ONS (August 2026), ONS (July 2026)