India-UAE airfares double; one-way trip now costs Rs 37,000

Abu Dhabi: Airfares from India to United Arab Emirates (UAE) have almost doubled due to a large number of people travelling; as well strong inflow of passengers for mega-events such as the Expo 2020 and Dubai Shopping Festival.

Travel agents said one-way fares from Indian cities such as Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Kochi, Delhi are as high as Rs 37,000 (1,814 Dirham).

Ticket prices have doubled from India ever since the UAE announced the reopening of its borders to fully vaccinated travelers since August 30. Borders have been opened for people to visit families, seek better job opportunities, and visit the Dubai Expo 2020, agents said.

Speaking to siasat.com, Mohammed Omer Ali, operation manager of Musafir services, said that airfares to the ever-busy UAE routes will remain high in the month of December as people from India will be travelling to UAE to celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays. Plus, winter is the peak season for tourism in the country.

Normally, tickets from India’s capital city would cost about Rs 15,000 (Dirham 743) for one-way. But now the minimum fare from India to the UAE alone is over Rs 37,000 (1,814 Dirham). A family of four has to spend at least Rs 1.48 lakh to reach the UAE.

Shaik Waheed, travel agent and manager of Shaik Tours and Travel said, “The demand for India to Dubai is the highest compared to the airports in other Emirates. The rules are flexible and people who experienced unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic want to come here and test their chances.”

A woman from the city, who did not want to be named, and has been waiting to go to the UAE said, “I was waiting for the price to return to normal since August 2021, but this does not seem to be happening. I landed in UAE a week ago and the fares are shooting up. I paid approximately Rs 45,000 for me and my infant for a commercial flight.”

Scheduled international passenger flights to India have also been suspended since March last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the suspension of scheduled international passenger flights till November 30, 2021.

Due to the fear of a third COVID-19 wave, India has not yet fully resumed international commercial flights, due to which the prices are touching the sky.

Earlier on November 24, 2021, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to India, Ahmed Albanna, said that due to the normalization of UAE and India air services, the number of passengers will increase and airfares will come down.