The UAE’s ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali, has raised concerns about the rising airfares between both nations, emphasising the immediate need for increased flight capacity to meet soaring demand.
In an interview with Khaleej Times during the inaugural UAE-India Founders’ Retreat, he said: “The airfare has gone up, and demand is much more. I often find we require more flights and seat availability. Otherwise, prices will continue to soar.“
Concerns over Airfare from India-UAE
The demand for air travel between the UAE and India has surged significantly, especially during a peak travel period of festivities such as Diwali. This has led to fare increases of up to 50 percent on routes majorly from Dubai to Mumbai and Bengaluru.
This spike in prices is attributed to several factors, including a large population of expatriates in UAE and the desire of travellers to go home during festivities. Alshaali explained that many Indian passengers prefer to fly to “destination” airports near their homes, thereby stressing the need to offer more connectivity and points in the Tier 2 cities in India.
Economic implications
Alshaali argued that enhancing flight connectivity would not only alleviate increasing ticket prices but also boost tourism sectors, and create jobs and trade between the two nations. He stated, “It will encourage the flow of tourists, increase employment, and generate business prospects. We aim to make everyone a winner and change the nature of relations with the competitors for the better”.
The proposals outlined by the ambassador are meant to create a new and improved stable environment for travelling to address the increasing number of travellers as well as the level of fares.
Strengthening bilateral relations
More than 60 Indian startup founders, investors UAE business leaders, and policymakers participated in the UAE-India Founders’ Retreat to promote the business relations between the two countries.
Organised by the UAE Embassy in Delhi and the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC) this initiative aims at offering multiple opportunities for cooperation and innovation across different sectors.
He encouraged the Indian entrepreneurs to open up the opportunities that are available in the UAE since it will form the center for expansion into international markets, adding emphasis on improving the relations between the two nations.
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