Global flight bookings plummet amidst Israel-Palestine conflict

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DUBAI, Nov 11, (Agencies): Data from travel analysis firm Forward Keys indicates a drop in international flight reservations worldwide since the onset of the recent conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. This decline is particularly noticeable in the Americas, where people are canceling trips to the Middle East and various global destinations.

The global demand for travel has decreased since Hamas launched an attack on Israel, claiming 1,400 lives on October 7. In response, Israel conducted air strikes and ground operations in Gaza, reportedly resulting in over 10,000 Palestinian casualties.

Olivier Ponte, Vice President of Analytics at Forward Keys, described the situation as a catastrophic human tragedy, expressing concern that witnessing the daily events on television would make people hesitant to travel to the affected region. This, in turn, affects customers’ confidence in traveling to other places.

According to Forward Keys’ air ticket data, international flight bookings from the Americas dropped by 10% in the three weeks after October 7 compared to the three weeks preceding the attack. Similarly, travel traffic in the Middle East saw a 9% decline in international airline tickets issued, and international airline bookings for the region fell by 26% in the three weeks following the attack.

On a global scale, international flight bookings decreased by an average of 5%, impacting the recovery of global travel post-pandemic. Ponte noted that bookings a day before the attack suggested a 95% recovery in global air travel in the fourth quarter of the year compared to 2019 levels. However, by late October, this forecast had fallen to 88%.

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