Eid Al Adha break in Dubai: Travellers start facing heavy rush at airport even before school holidays

Eid Al Adha break in Dubai: Travellers start facing heavy rush at airport even before school holidays

Travel agents say outbound travel rush started on June 1 with heavy rush over weekends

Published: Mon 12 Jun 2023, 6:00 AM

Residents and visitors in Dubai faced long queues and delays at airports over the weekend as the travelling season has started, despite schools still continuing in full swing.

Mini R., who flew to the UK with her family over the weekend, said she faced longer-than-expected delays. “I have young kids. So, we usually like to reach the airport early to leave us enough time after check-in,” she said.

“However, the lines were so long that we got to the lounge just in time for boarding. I couldn’t believe how crowded the airport was, despite schools still being open.”

According to Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) calendar, school holidays in Dubai will only begin after two weeks, with some schools closing as late as July 7.

Salman Ali, who dropped his parents to Dubai airport to travel to Karachi on Sunday morning, said it was very crowded. “My parents had come visiting me and they were returning,” he said. “They were scheduled to go on Saturday, but their flight got cancelled. So, on Sunday morning when I went to drop them, I was