New data from Flight Centre Travel Group subsidiaries Corporate Traveller and FCM Travel shows there has been a 17 per cent uplift in passenger numbers travelling through Asia from Monday to Thursday this week, when compared to the same time period in the last week of February.
China’s 86 per cent increase in volumes is the standout, while Malaysia has also seen a 13 per cent jump in passengers.
“Business travel is known for its resilience and flexibility, with companies looking at alternative routes that are safe to travel through, rather than cancelling,” said FCM Travel and Corporate Traveller’s global COO, Melissa Elf.
“Global economies don’t stop, and our latest data shows that corporates continue to find ways through alternative routes to get deals done.
“The majority of Europe to Australia flight connections operate via Asian hubs, not the Middle East, including China, Singapore, Hong Kong and other major regional airports, with these routes continuing to operate normally.”
However Elf noted tight capacity on Asian routes.
“Travel Managers and passengers should note that seat availability on these alternative routes is limited and subject to rapid change. Securing a booking is essential.
“As a travel management company, we continue to assist as we can access different inventory systems, manage re-bookings and handle ticketing complexities, significantly easing the burden on travellers and their companies.”
While the majority of Australia-Europe flights may flow through other ports, the UAE in particular, is undoubtedly a global aviation hub and the Middle East as a whole holds a significant number of international business events, both of which are being disrupted by the current conflict.
Dubai Airport reported that it was the busiest international airport in the world in 2025, servicing a total of 95.2 million passengers last year, including the highest number of international passengers of any global airport.
According to the latest international rankings from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the Middle East held 209 international meetings in 2024. Dubai also recorded the highest average delegate count per event of any destination around the world.
