Hyderabad has emerged as the costliest Indian destination for UAE travellers this August, with return airfares climbing above Dirham 9,000 (Rs 2,31,244) amid strong summer holiday demand. The sharp contrast in ticket prices means passengers flying to Hyderabad could pay more than six times the fare charged on some flights to Mumbai.
A fare comparison by Khaleej Times found that Hyderabad recorded the highest return airfare at Dh 9,250 (Rs 2,37,667) across major airlines, including Emirates, IndiGo and SpiceJet, for travel between August 1 and 31.
Delhi ranked second with return fares of Dh 9,090 (Rs 2,33,556), followed by Kochi at Dh 7,800 (Rs 2,00,411). Return tickets to Mumbai, meanwhile, started from Dh 1,404 (Rs 35,971), while fares to Chennai were available from Dh 1,678 (Rs 43,114).
Travel companies attributed the price surge to school holidays, seasonal demand and limited seat availability on several popular routes.
Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism, told Khaleej Times that demand for South India-bound flights remains particularly strong, with many services already fully booked weeks before departure.
He said Hyderabad attracts passengers from a wide catchment area, including neighbouring districts, while festival-related travel has also contributed to higher demand on Delhi-bound routes.
Some travellers are also opting for indirect journeys by flying to Mumbai before taking domestic connections to destinations in Kerala to reduce overall travel costs.
Capacity improves on some routes
Although fares remain elevated across much of the UAE-India network, some routes have begun to see modest declines as airlines restore capacity.
According to Gulf News, fares on several UAE-Kerala sectors have eased after airlines added more flights and returned additional aircraft to service following recent regional disruptions.
Raheesh Babu, chief operating officer of Musafir.com, said fares on some Kerala routes had fallen from around Dh 3,500-Dh 3,600 (Rs 89,928.34-Rs 92,497) to about Dh 2,600 (Rs 66,803.91) as seat availability improved. However, he said prices remain significantly higher than those recorded during the same period last year.
Emirates advises passengers to plan ahead
Separately, Emirates has urged passengers travelling from Dubai during the summer holiday period to arrive at the airport at least three hours before departure because of higher passenger volumes.
The airline advised travellers to reach their boarding gates at least 60 minutes before departure and allow extra travel time to Dubai International Airport due to possible road congestion. It also recommended using online check-in, the Emirates app, self-service bag-drop facilities or city check-in centres to reduce waiting times at the airport.
Passengers were also advised to keep their contact details updated through the airline’s “Manage Your Booking” service to receive the latest flight notifications.
The UAE-India corridor remains one of the world’s busiest international aviation markets, driven by business travel, tourism and expatriates visiting friends and relatives.
