Airfares to UAE soar for expats returning after vacation; some postpone travel

Airfares to UAE soar for expats returning after vacation; some postpone travel

Families are opting to return in batches or later in September due to exorbitant ticket prices

Published: Thu 10 Aug 2023, 3:16 PM Last updated: Thu 10 Aug 2023, 3:29 PM

Many residents are postponing their return from their vacations due to exorbitant airfares from the Indian subcontinent to the UAE, which is causing financial strain for them. Many UAE residents from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are currently facing a challenge to return. One expat from Pakistan was even forced to cancel the return plans twice as a result of an excessive rise in airfares.

Saleem Ahmed, a Pakistani national, went on annual leave in June. However, he had to delay his return for personal reasons.

When changing his return ticket, he was unfortunately advised by the travel agent to cancel it and claim a refund to buy a new ticket later. This decision has landed him in trouble now. He has been trying to book return tickets but it is costing him more than Rs100,000 (Dh1,277) for a one-way return ticket.

“I tried to book it twice, but the price was too high. When I checked airfares on Wednesday for a flight 10 days later from Lahore to Dubai, the one-way return ticket was