Indonesian tourism suffers from Middle East war‑induced flight

Indonesia’s tourism sector is feeling the ripple effects of the Middle East war as airlines reroute or cancel flights through Gulf hubs, leaving tens of thousands of Umrah pilgrims stranded and reducing inbound foreign travelers by several thousand each day [1].

Key takeaways

• Over 14,000 flights involving Gulf hubs were cancelled in the first weeks of the crisis, adding 2‑5 hours to long‑haul routes [1].
• Nearly 59,000 Indonesian Umrah pilgrims remain in Saudi Arabia after flight disruptions began in late February [1].
• Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways together transport about 5,040 passengers daily, more than half of whom are foreign tourists to Indonesia [2].
• Jet‑fuel price spikes have driven one‑way economy fares from Jakarta to range between Rp 17.9 million and Rp 78.9 million [2].

Disrupted air corridors hit Indonesian travelers

The escalation of fighting between the United States‑Israel coalition and Iran in February 2026 triggered widespread airspace closures across Iran, Iraq and neighboring states. Carriers that normally use Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi as one‑stop connectors for Europe‑Asia traffic have cut schedules, with public aviation data showing more than 14,000 flight cancellations in the first weeks alone [1]. The loss of these Gulf transit points forces airlines to adopt longer, fuel‑intensive routes that add two to five hours of flying time and raise operating costs.

Indonesia’s large Umrah market has been especially hard hit. Government briefings in early March reported that close to 59,000 Indonesian pilgrims were stranded in Saudi Arabia after their flights were cancelled or delayed due to the airspace restrictions [1]. Pilgrims normally travel via Gulf hubs, and the sudden loss of reliable charter and scheduled services has left many waiting weeks for return journeys. Travel agencies have urged travelers to postpone trips until safer corridors are restored, a warning that coincides with Ramadan, a peak period for pilgrimage demand.

Foreign visitor flow and airline capacity shrink

Middle Eastern carriers play a pivotal role in feeding high‑spending tourists from Europe and North America into Indonesia’s resort destinations. According to the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways each operate Boeing 777‑300ER aircraft on routes to Jakarta and Bali, carrying an average of 400 passengers per flight with a 90 % load factor [2]. Combined, these airlines move roughly 5,040 passengers daily, of which about 2,736 are inbound foreign tourists [2]. The temporary suspension of these services therefore translates into a loss of thousands of visitors per day.

The conflict has also driven up jet‑fuel prices, prompting airlines such as Singapore, Malaysia and Turkish carriers to double ticket prices to European destinations [2]. Domestic travelers face higher costs as well, with one‑way economy fares from Soekarno‑Hatta Airport now ranging from Rp 17.9 million to Rp 78.9 million [2]. Higher fares and longer travel times are expected to dampen demand, potentially leading airlines to reduce fleet sizes if the downturn persists.