Airfares from UAE to South Asian countries soar ahead of Eid Al Fitr travel rush

Dubai: Planning a weekend away for the Eid al-Fitr weekend? Airfares from the UAE to South Asian countries have soared ahead of the Eid Al Fitr weekend, according to price listings on several travel aggregator websites.

Travellers flying to key destinations such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are facing higher fares, as festive demand meets a shortage of available flights.

For example, direct Economy Dubai-to-Mumbai flights are priced at Dh2.045 for travel between March 20 and 23. Airfares to Delhi are a whopping Dh2,885, and flights to Kochi are priced at Dh3,589.

Similarly, flights to Pakistan have also soared. Dubai-Karachi flights are priced at Dh1,895, Dubai – Lahore flights are priced at Dh3,889, and Multan flights are priced at Dh3,045. Airfares on connecting flights are considerably cheaper.

The current situation in the UAE is linked to a wider regional conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

In response, Iran set out on a campaign of aggression, firing missiles and launching drone attacks across parts of the Gulf. This has led to the temporary airspace closures in the UAE and neighbouring countries as a safety precaution.

So, who is flying?

While demand for leisure travel has dropped significantly, on account of the US-Israel war on Iran, there are many residents heading home to meet with families. According to Sapna Aidasani, marketing head at Pluto Travels,

“Residents are travelling back to their home country for short holidays. The demand is high among residents in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh,” said Sapna.

TP Sudheesh, general manager of Deira Travels, also said, “Residents are travelling. But the demand is mostly for emergency travel. People who have no choice but to travel. For example, those going on medical emergencies, or to visit their family members, or on any work-related purpose.”

What is causing the surge?

The surge in airfares comes at a time when airline capacity across the Middle East remains significantly reduced. According to aviation analytics estimates, nearly six million passengers have been affected by flight disruptions across the Middle East within just two weeks of the crisis.

At the same time, airlines are facing rising operating costs, particularly fuel. Jet fuel prices have surged since the start of the conflict, with prices in Asia rising by as much as 80 per cent and in Europe doubling, according to Reuters.

Industry leaders say this is directly feeding into ticket prices. The head of the International Air Transport Association warned that the crisis is pushing up costs and forcing airlines to adjust capacity, adding pressure on fares globally.

What about Eid travel?

The timing has made the situation worse. Eid Al Fitr is one of the busiest travel periods in the UAE, especially for South Asian expatriates travelling home. With fewer seats available and demand remaining strong, prices have surged sharply, particularly for last-minute bookings.

Despite the high prices, demand remains strong. Many travellers are continuing with their plans due to family commitments during Eid, especially among expatriate communities.

For now, fares are expected to remain elevated. Until flight capacity improves and operational challenges ease, travellers from the UAE to South Asia are likely to continue facing limited options and higher ticket prices.

Dubai leads the way

Airline operations across the Middle East showed further signs of recovery on March 19, according to data from Cirium, with cancellation rates dropping sharply compared to earlier in the crisis.

As of 5 pm Dubai time, around 14.8 per cent of flights were cancelled, down from nearly 30 per cent a day earlier and significantly lower than peak disruption levels seen in early March. This marks one of the lowest daily cancellation rates since the conflict began.

Despite the improvement, disruption levels remain uneven across airlines. On March 19, carriers such as Kuwait Airways and Gulf Air continued to see very high cancellation rates, over 85 per cent, while others, such as Saudia and Flyadeal, operated with minimal disruption.

UAE carriers showed relatively stronger performance. Emirates cancelled just 6.9 per cent of its flights on March 19, while flydubai recorded cancellations of 18.4 per cent.

In total, more than 30,000 flights have been cancelled since the start of the conflict, highlighting the continued strain on regional aviation despite recent improvements.