Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh! Kerala–Saudi fares soar, expats stunned

MALAPPURAM: Expatriates are facing a crisis as airlines have reduced flight services to Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing conflict. Airfares from Kerala to Jeddah have crossed one lakh. Before the conflict, tickets from Kerala to Jeddah were available for as little as Rs 15,000. The sharp increase in fares for connecting flights has further worsened the situation.

An economy-class ticket on Saudia's direct flight from Kochi to Jeddah costs around Rs 67,000, and availability is very limited. Under the flexi-fare system, fares can exceed Rs 1 lakh. A direct flight takes around six and a half hours to reach Jeddah, while connecting journeys can take between 16 and 20 hours. Saudi Arabia is home to the largest number of Malayali expatriates.

Connecting flights also prohibitively expensive

With most airlines having cancelled direct services from India to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, travellers are increasingly relying on connecting flights. They can reach Qatar, Bahrain or Kuwait and then travel to Saudi Arabia by air or land.
A ticket from Kochi to Doha on Qatar Airways costs Rs 56,000. Travellers must pay another Rs 43,000 to fly from Doha to Jeddah. On Gulf Air, a ticket from Kochi to Bahrain costs Rs 37,000, while the onward flight to Jeddah costs around Rs 24,000. Travel via Kuwait also costs more than Rs 45,000. Tickets are also unavailable on some of these routes.