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Up to Dh7,000 per seat: Some charter flights to help UAE passengers get home
'The charges are very high right now,' one travel agent said, while another confirmed that prices for these coveted seats are climbing every day
- PUBLISHED: Thu 5 Mar 2026, 5:00 AM UPDATED: Thu 5 Mar 2026, 8:43 AM
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Special charter flights are being arranged from UAE airports to help stranded tourists return to India after regional airspace restrictions disrupted hundreds of flights, which left thousands of travellers waiting for seats.
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Travel agents said the temporary airspace closure led to widespread cancellations, affecting tourists visiting the UAE and transit passengers who were passing through the country. With regular flights operating in limited numbers, some charter operators have stepped in to provide alternative travel options.
According to Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Travels, travel agencies have been helping connect passengers with operators arranging charter services from airports such as Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
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“Some operators are arranging charter flights and we are helping passengers get seats on them,” he said, adding that these services are helping tourists who had been waiting for available flights to India.
Travel agents said that seats on charter flights are currently starting from around Dh2,500, depending on the route and availability. Some social media posts circulating among travellers have advertised seats on private charter jets starting from about Dh7,000 per passenger, offering another option for those unable to secure seats on regular airline services.
Demand for charter flights has increased following the disruptions, said travel agents.
“We have been receiving heavy enquiries from people who want to fly back home to India,” said Bharath Aidasani. “However, operators are running only limited flights at the moment and connectivity is not available to all the cities.”
Another travel agent said the surge in demand was mainly from passengers who urgently needed to travel and could not wait for regular airline services to resume.
“Demand for chartered flights in the UAE has increased days after airspace closure that cancelled hundreds of flights impacting thousands of tourists and transit passengers,” said Safeer Mohammed, general manager of Smart Travels. “The charges are very high right now. The ticket prices are starting at Dh2,500 per person one way to India. We currently have flights from Fujairah that are operating to multiple Indian cities.”
He added that the high demand was expected to ease in the coming days as more flights gradually resume.
“Those who need to travel urgently will pay the high fares and leave. In the next four or five days, the demand is expected to drop and consequently the prices as well. We are also hoping that the air corridor will expand to include more flights and that the backlog is cleared by Eid.”
For many tourists who had been waiting for flights, the charter services have come as a relief.
Rajiv M, a tourist from Karnataka who had travelled to the UAE for a short holiday, said he had been stranded for several days after his return flight was cancelled.
“I arrived in Dubai in the last week of February for a holiday and was supposed to fly back to Bengaluru few days later. But after the disruptions, my flight was cancelled and I had to stay longer than planned,” he said.
“It was stressful in the beginning because we did not know when flights would resume, but travel agents have been helping us with updates and options. We are thankful that arrangements are being made to help people return home.”
Anita Sharma, who had visited the UAE to attend a family function, said she had been waiting for nearly four days to secure a seat back to India.
“My return flight was on last Sunday, but it got cancelled due to the airspace situation,” she said.
“We had to extend our stay and keep checking for available flights. It has been a difficult few days, but people here have been supportive and helpful. We are relieved that there are now options like charter flights to finally go back home.”
According to Noushad Hassan, MD of Alhind Business Center, ticket prices for the chartered flights have skyrocketed in just days. “Some of the tickets which were selling for Dh1,700 are now being sold for Dh3,000,” he said. “The reason for this is the extremely high demand. Every day, the prices are climbing because there are people who are willing to pay for it.”
He said that it was important for passengers not to panic and travel only when necessary. “There are some people who are simply travelling now because they are scared,” he said. “There is no need for it as UAE is still extremely safe. So I would advise only those who need to leave urgently to travel now. Others can wait it out and hopefully the prices will normalise once the airspace is fully open again.”
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.
