Panic button fully triggered, Asian airlines raise ticket prices and consider options to suspend flights.

Asian airlines are starting to adjust ticket prices and develop contingency plans, including cancelling some flights, as the escalating Middle East conflict is feared to trigger the most severe oil shock since the 1970s. Sources say that Indian airlines have raised ticket prices on long-haul routes by 15% and are considering further increases. In Vietnam, official media warnings suggest that ticket prices could rise by as much as 70% due to the country's dependence on imported aviation fuel. Airlines in the region have less ability to hedge against high oil prices compared to their European and American counterparts, making them more vulnerable to sudden increases in aviation fuel prices. Sources revealed that this has prompted budget airlines in Southeast Asia to start simulating different scenarios, including grounding some aircraft when aviation fuel prices are too high to bear or supplies are limited.