Airlines open bookings for India-UAE flights from May 5

Our Correspondent

While flights from India to the UAE are scheduled to resume on May 5 after the suspension of services is lifted. On April 24, the UAE had imposed a suspension on flights from India for 10 days in the wake of the second wave of COVID infection in the country.

Carriers of the two countries have opened their bookings on India-UAE routes from May 5. The demand is high with residents waiting to return to the UAE.

The Emirates website showed one-way business class airfare starting at Rs.146,000 (Dh7,170) while economy class seats are sold out for May 5 on the Mumbai to Dubai flights. One-way airfare on the same route starts from Rs.35,200 (Dh1,730) on May 6 and Rs.57,907 (Dh2,846) a day later.

Air India’s fare on the Mumbai-Dubai route on May 5 starts from Dh590 while some budget carriers offer fares as low as Dh369.

The big increase in Emirates’ airfares is attributed to a large number of people buying tickets for connecting flights to Europe and other countries.

Many countries, including the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Indonesia, US, UK, Kuwait, Iran, France and Canada, have banned flights from India. Qatar has mandated 48-hour PCR test result from 2 am on April 28 and compulsory hotel quarantine for 10 days for passengers from India.

Tycoons and celebrities fly away

Meanwhile, India’s superrich and others able to afford fares running into millions of rupees are booking private jets to Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. A one-way economy class ticket to Dubai costs $1,300, more than 10 times the regular price.

There was a huge increase in chartered flights to London and Dubai just before the restrictions came into effect, and the Maldives before the island nation announced the ban on Indian passengers.