Dubai: After a blistering summer of high fares, ticket rates on the always-busy UAE-India routes are seeing significant drops to around or under Dh1,000 for Economy. It will definitely be of help to those who have imminent travel plans to and from India.
The Dh1,000 fares compare with the peaks of Dh2,700 per person for flights from the UAE to cities in India’s North and West during July and August. Those with end-destinations in South India had to shell out as much as Dh3,500 for summer travel. (To keep the fare costs manageable, many travellers headed for South Indian destinations opted to fly to Amritsar and then catch a domestic flight to where they needed to go.)
Now, Fares to most airports in India, including those in the hyper-busy South sector, have dropped by 25-30 per cent. Additionally, prices are expected to fall to an average of Dh870 to Dh990 after September 16 and should remain stable until mid-November.
In fact, many UAE travel agents call this a 'correction period' following the peak summer fares of summer 2023, driven by the ‘revenge travel’ trend, and 2022, which flight capacities were impacted by pandemic-induced travel restrictions.
“After an expensive summer, especially for average middle-class families, fares are finally stabilising in the India-UAE sector,” said Basheer Mohammed, General Manager of Europe Travel and Tours. “These fares are far more affordable than the highs we saw in 2022-2023.
“Last year and the year before, Indian expatriates returning to the UAE after the summer holidays had to delay their travel plans due to a more than 200 per cent increase in fares compared to off-season dates.
A quick weekend trip
“Even travellers who would like to make a quick trip to India over the upcoming weekend (September 14-16) for Kerala’s Onam festival can get last-minute tickets for Dh810 (to Mumbai) and Dh1,095 (to Kochi),” said Rashid Abbas, the Managing Director of Arooha Travels.
Over the July- August break, fares to these destinations were priced well over Dh2,500, said Abbas.
According to Mehar Sawlani, Director of Sales at Richmond Gulf Travels, fares from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah for India-bound flights are seeing further drops. “A lot of travellers living in Dubai opting to fly out of Abu Dhabi, and RAK are seeing drops well below Dh1,300,” said Mehar.
For example, Abu Dhabi—Mumbai flights are priced at Dh660 (Vistara) between September 12 and 17. Delhi fares are priced at Dh1095, Bengaluru flights are priced at Dh1,250 (Etihad Airways), and Abu Dhabi—Kochi fares are averaging at Dh1,253 (Etihad Airways).
RAK-Mumbai fares are priced at Dh735 (IndiGo). According to travel agents, airfares from Sharjah International Airport are also competitively priced.
Afi Ahmed, Chairman of Smart Travels, said demand in India has remained consistent in the first eight months of the year. “Many Indian expatriates travel to India several times a year, especially during the off-peak seasons,” he said. “Travellers are also taking advantage of the increased connectivity to Tier 2 cities (Air India Express).
“This month, some expatriate travellers, especially those without kids (or without school–going children), have postponed their return to Dubai after September 16 to take advantage of the lower fares.”
An Economy class ticket from Dubai to Mumbai for travel between September 12-17 is Dh810 with Air India.
Budget carriers SpiceJet and IndiGo have fares averaging around Dh840 on the same route, while full-service carriers Vistara and Emirates are between Dh1,000 and Dh1,090. Over the summer, fares on this route were averaging Dh1,070 to Dh1,800.
Similarly, Delhi-Dubai flights are priced at Dh846 (Air India) to Dh1,100 (Emirates) compared to highs of Dh1,200 to Dh1,900.
“Middle East carrier fares are relatively higher because most of these flights cater to connecting traffic from Europe and the Americas,” said Ahmed. “Budget carriers, on the other hand, cater to the point-to-point traffic,”
In the hyper-busy South India sector, especially Kerala and Karnataka, fares surged to Dh1,588-Dh2,277 from July to August.
Fares now average from Dh1,096 (Kochi) to Dh1,380 (Thiruvananthapuram). Dubai to Chennai fares stand at Dh938, and Dubai to Jaipur tickets are priced at Dh957. “Connectivity to Jaipur, usually considered a two-tier city, has dropped because airlines, including Etihad Airways, have improved,” said Ahmed.
