DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Return airfares from the UAE to India have fallen by nearly 20% to 30% on several routes this month, offering some relief to travelers heading home or planning short summer trips.
Travel agents said the drop comes after the early summer rush and is likely temporary. Prices to many cities in north and west India have eased the most, while fares to southern destinations remain comparatively higher.
Taha Siddique, owner of Siddique Travel in Mangaluru, said airfares to the coastal Karnataka city have come down in recent weeks. He said pricing varies by departure airport, with flights from Abu Dhabi often cheaper than those from Dubai.
He added that fares to Hyderabad and Chennai have also softened this month, but travelers planning to fly in August should book early because prices are already rising.
A fare check for travel between July 21 and July 31 showed return tickets from Ahmedabad starting at Dh1,029, followed by New Delhi at Dh1,041, Mumbai at Dh1,074 and Pune at Dh1,114.
By comparison, Bengaluru was listed from Dh1,389, Kozhikode from Dh1,578 and Mangaluru from Dh1,928.
The data shows that travelers heading to north and west India are seeing the best deals at the moment, while popular Kerala and Karnataka routes still cost several hundred dirhams more.
A similar fare check in mid-June showed prices for the same travel window were around 20% to 30% higher, suggesting the recent drop is tied to weaker demand after the peak holiday period.
Agents expect fares to rise again in August as more families travel before schools reopen and demand picks up on India-bound routes.
