Some Australian importers are opting to pay far higher rates to fly products into the country to avoid weeks-long shipping delays caused by the ongoing Red Sea conflict and major congestion in Asia, experts say.

The threat of attack by Houthi pirates off the Horn of Africa has forced the majority of commercial ships travelling from Europe to Asia to divert around the southern tip of Africa, adding days to voyages and causing major congestion at the world’s second-largest port in Singapore.