UAE travel update: Where travellers are flying for Eid Al Adha, summer break

Dubai: The mood across the travel sector this week is one of ‘cautious optimism. After weeks of uncertainty across regional aviation, UAE travellers are showing increased confidence to travel.

Travel agents say calls for travel are returning, Eid plans are back on the table, and summer travel demand is rebuilding — although travellers remain cautious and airfares are still high on several routes.

Travel companies say demand never disappeared entirely, even during the most difficult weeks of disruption. “There is some uncertainty in the travel industry currently, but we are still seeing steady activity,” said Mehar Sawlani of Richmond Travels.

“Last night we had a group of clients from London who travelled as planned, and we also have ongoing departures to India. So, we continue to successfully manage and facilitate travel for our clients,” she said.

Sapna Aidasai, head of marketing and PR for Pluto Travels, also said travel demand stays stable as of now. “Airlines are changing flight times sometimes, but we haven’t seen any cancellations so far. Frequencies also remain as they are for now,” said Sapna.

Travel agents also said a majority of the travel enquries are coming from expatriates who would like to fly home for the break. Raheesh Babu, COO of Musafir Travels, said travellers are still willing to fly, despite concerns around the wider geopolitical situation.

“People continue to remain optimistic while being cautious — there are definitely calls to travel — the demand exists — supply constraints and high airfares are the primary reason for the current dip.”

That combination — strong travel intent but limited capacity — hasbecome one of the defining themes for UAE aviation this season.

Travel agents say bookings briefly slowed earlier this week after renewed attacks involving the UAE region created fresh uncertainty.

But the slowdown did not last long.

Afi Ahmed, Chairman of Smart Travels, said enquiries and bookings have begun to rise again. “We’re seeing some activity for Eid and summer travel,” he said.

“There was a sudden drop in demand when the attacks on the UAE resumed this week — but now the calls have resumed, and bookings have picked up.”

For many UAE residents, the next few weeks are critical for securing summer travel plans before fares climb further.

The recovery in traveller confidence is happening alongside a broader restoration of airline operations across the UAE. Emirates said it is now operating to 137 destinations across 72 countries spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa, West Asia, the Middle East/GCC, the Far East and Australasia.

The airline said it continues to monitor the situation while offering customers more flight options and connections.

The carrier is rebuilding from what it described as a “disruptive and challenging” final month of its financial year, after regional aviation was hit by major operational instability following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict in late February.

Despite that disruption, Emirates retained its position as the world’s most profitable airline for 2025-26.

The Emirates Group reported profit before tax of Dh24.4 billion, up 7 per cent year-on-year, while revenue reached Dh150.5 billion. Cash assets climbed to Dh59.6 billion.

flydubai says travellers can expect additional flights and better connectivity in the coming weeks as operations continue scaling up.

“We are actively scaling up operations to meet growing demand, while maintaining our commitments to operational reliability and customer experience,” flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith told Gulf News.

The UAE’s airspace has been closed since February 28, except for special flights operating through designated air corridors. However, restrictions were removed last Saturday, giving passengers the freedom to travel.

Etihad Airways says it continues operating a “comprehensive commercial flight schedule” to around 80 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.

The airline is also continuing flexible refund and rebooking options for affected passengers.

Air Arabia has meanwhile restarted a limited number of flights to and from the UAE, subject to operational and regulatory approvals.

The airline has resumed services to destinations including Yerevan, Bahrain, Alexandria, Cairo and several Indian cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.

The wider travel ecosystem is also seeing the effects of recent instability. Travel tech firm Amadeus reported first-quarter revenue growth of 3.1 per cent to €1.68 billion, while operating income rose to €474.9 million.

However, the company said the situation in the Middle East in March moderated growth and slowed overall quarterly performance.

“While volumes moderated in March, following the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, we continue to demonstrate strong commercial momentum,” said Luis Maroto, President and CEO of Amadeus.

The company said it remains cautious about the short-term outlook due to an uncertain macroeconomic environment.

For now, the UAE travel market appears to be entering a stabilisation phase.

Flights are returning, airlines are reopening schedules, and travellers who paused plans earlier in the week are beginning to book again.

But recovery remains fragile. High airfares, limited capacity on some routes, and lingering geopolitical uncertainty are still shaping traveller behaviour across the region.

If the current ceasefire holds and airlines continue to rebuild their schedules, the coming weeks could see a sharper recovery in Eid and summer bookings — especially on heavily travelled routes to India, Europe and key leisure destinations.