Missed summer holidays? UAE, regional, Indian airlines roll out last-minute deals to lure travellers

Dubai: As the UAE’s busy summer travel season winds down, airlines in the region and beyond are rolling out aggressive last-minute discount campaigns to attract travellers and fill seats for the coming months.

In the UAE, flag carrier Etihad Airways has launched a special promotion targeting passengers from India.

The national carrier introduced a sale offering up to 30 per cent off fares from India to popular destinations across the US and Europe.

The offer, which runs until August 15, is valid for travel from September 2025 to March 2026, providing an extended window for passengers to plan their trips.

Where can people travel to?

According to Etihad, travellers booking from India can take advantage of the offer to fly to cities including Chicago (Dh3,273), Toronto (Dh3,599), Washington DC (Dh3,149), Barcelona (Dh2,036), Dublin (Dh2,149), and more in Economy class.

Offers are also available on tickets to Brussels, Prague, Warsaw, Sochi, New York, Rome, Atlanta, Madrid, Boston, Paris, Munich, and Frankfurt.

This comes on the heels of Etihad’s earlier ‘Sizzling Summer’ sale, which provided a 25 per cent discount on both business and economy class tickets to various destinations.

The airline’s strategic move reflects a competitive market where carriers are vying for end-of-season bookings and looking to secure passengers for the upcoming winter travel period.

Busy summer

Despite regional geopolitical tensions and the US trade wars, airports in the UAE have been experiencing a busy summer, according to official sources.

In an earlier interview with Gulf News, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said, “There doesn’t seem to be any impact that’s discernible,” referring to the initial nervousness surrounding US tariffs. "And that’s why I think we’re still confident that our forecasts are robust, so no impact is measurable in our traffic numbers as a result of any of the macroeconomic factors we’ve seen at all. It's all looking pretty robust,” he added.

The airport has seen record numbers, with a daily average of 254,000 people passing through DXB in the first half of the year.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Airports reported a strong first half of 2025, with passenger traffic exceeding 15.8 million, representing a 13.1 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Zayed International Airport (AUH) saw 15.5 million passengers, a 13.2 per cent year-on-year increase, contributing significantly to the overall growth

Indian carriers join fare war

Other regional and Indian airlines are also joining the fare war. Air India, for example, has announced its ‘Namaste World’ promotional sale with discounted all-inclusive fares on both domestic and international routes.

Fares are reportedly starting as low as ₹1,279 (Dh53.59) for domestic flights from major Indian hubs. Air India Express is also offering various limited-time deals, including a flat 25 per cent off on its Xpress Biz fares.

The trend of last-minute sales is a strategic response to the tapering summer demand, with airlines looking to capitalise on spontaneous travel plans and secure a more substantial load factor as the travel industry transitions into a new season.