Depending on their destination, passengers travelling from the United Arab Emirates to India in August may encounter significant variations in airfares; return costs can range from approximately Rs 35,971 (Dh1,400) to more than Rs 2.36 lakh (Dh9,200) per passenger, according to a report.
While some routes are still reasonably priced, others have significantly increased due to high holiday demand, according to a Khaleej Times flight price comparison of return fares that was conducted on June 14 for travel between August 1 and 31 across airlines like Emirates, IndiGo, and SpiceJet.
Hyderabad topped the list as the most expensive destination, with return fares reaching Rs 2.38 lakh (Dh9,250) per passenger. Delhi followed at Rs 2.34 lakh (Dh9,090), while tickets to Kochi climbed to Rs 2 lakh (Dh7,800). Some airlines offered return tickets to Mumbai for as cheap as Rs 3.62 lakh rupees (Dh1,404), while fares to Chennai began at Rs 43,114 rupees (Dh1,678).
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According to travel experts, the spike is being driven by a mix of restricted seat availability, summer travel demand, and school holidays. “This is among the highest fares we have seen in recent years,” Wisefox Tourism senior manager Subair Thekepurathvalappil stated.
“A lot of flights are already fully booked for August and even the end of June. Due to the exceptionally high demand over the summer holidays, South India continues to be one of the most costly locations, he continued.
Hyderabad in particular draws tourists from a wide catchment region, according to Subair.
“There is only one major airport serving a massive region, and many people from neighbouring districts also fly from Hyderabad,” he continued, saying that this year’s high rates on Delhi routes are also a result of festive travel in North India.
He claims that some locals are now opting for lengthier trips in order to save money.
“After arriving in Mumbai, travellers take domestic flights to Kerala. The savings could be significant, but there can be layovers and more travel time. Strong demand over the school holiday is keeping planes packed,” according to Bharat Aidasani, managing partner at Pluto Travels.
“Summer vacation reservations are in high demand, and school holidays also have an impact. Families love to vacation together, and August is a popular month this year. The number of flights is increasing. As seats fill up closer to departure dates, airlines may raise costs even further,” according to Aidasani.
Many locals are having to reconsider their travel plans due to the growing expenses.
Residents with set summer plans are advised by travel brokers to make reservations as soon as possible, cautioning that August costs are probably going to be high because demand is still exceeding available seats, as reported by Khaleej Times.
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