Expats who arrived home for Onam hit hard; returning to Gulf countries will now cost more than double

ABU DHABI: July and August are the peak months when expatriates return to Kerala for Onam. The UAE school summer vacation also falls during this period, prompting many Malayali families to travel home. However, those who are planning to fly back to the UAE are now facing a sharp rise in airfares. Passengers flying from Kerala and other destinations to the UAE will have to pay more than double the usual fare in some cases. The figures were reported by Khaleej Times.

The report examined airfares to the UAE from India, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, London and New York. While fares have not increased across all routes, several sectors have recorded sharp hikes. The steepest increase was on the Bengaluru-Dubai route. A ticket priced at AED 828 (Rs 21,440) for travel on August 13 has risen to AED 1,694 (Rs 43,865) for August 30, marking an increase of more than 100%.

A similar surge has been recorded on the Kochi-Dubai route, where ticket prices have jumped from AED 1,424 (Rs 36,873) on August 13 to AED 2,943 (Rs 76,207) on August 30. On the Kozhikode-Dubai route, fares have increased from AED 1,174 (Rs 30,400) to AED 2,022 (Rs 52,358). Airfares have also gone up on other major routes. Tickets from Hyderabad to Dubai have increased from AED 857 (Rs 22,191) to AED 1,321 (Rs 34,206), while fares from Mumbai to Dubai have risen from AED 780 (Rs 20,197) to AED 1,095 (Rs 28,354).

In contrast, ticket prices from Karachi and Lahore to the UAE have declined. There has been no change in fares on the New York-Dubai route, while connecting flights from London to Dubai have become cheaper. However, direct flights on the London-Dubai route have witnessed a significant increase in ticket prices.