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Gulf-India flights resume gradually; will airfares drop in coming weeks?
Demand remains strong, especially for South India routes, with many flights already operating close to full capacity
- PUBLISHED: Sun 5 Jul 2026, 6:00 AM UPDATED: Sun 5 Jul 2026, 8:27 AM
As airlines are restoring flights between India and the Gulf after recent disruptions, travellers are hoping ticket prices to come down. However, travel agents said that those planning to fly during the summer holidays should not expect a drop in fares just yet.
While most airlines have resumed operations and more services are expected to return in the coming days, demand remains strong, especially for South India routes, with many flights already operating close to full capacity.
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The outlook comes after airfares between the UAE and India touched record levels this summer. A recent Khaleej Times analysis of fares searched on June 14 for travel between August 1 and 31 found return tickets to Hyderabad reaching Dh9,250 per passenger, while Delhi touched Dh9,090 and Kochi Dh7,800 on some flights. For a family of four, the cost of travelling to Hyderabad could go up to nearly Dh37,000.
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Although airlines are restoring services, travel experts believe the additional capacity is unlikely to bring immediate relief.
"Almost all the flights have now resumed, but the chances of fares dipping in the coming weeks are very few," said Pavan Poojary from Luxury Travels.
He said one of the reasons is that airlines are also trying to recover losses following recent regional tensions that disrupted flight operations. "At present, one-way fares are still starting from around Dh1,500 on many routes, while return fares remain at least around Dh1,800. Most flights are flying full," he said.
Bharat Aidasani, managing partner at Pluto Travels, said that July and August continues to be the busiest month for travel between the UAE and India.
"Bookings remain strong because of the summer holidays and school vacations. Families are travelling together and August is seeing extremely high demand. Flights are filling up quickly," he said.
According to Aidasani, travellers looking for lower fares may have to wait until after the peak summer rush.
"We may see a slight easing in September. If fares begin to soften, Mumbai and Delhi routes are likely to see the drop first. Hyderabad could follow later," he said.
However, he cautioned that South India routes are likely to remain under pressure because flights are already operating with very high occupancy.
Travel agents said residents travelling in August should avoid waiting in the hope of last-minute bargains. Instead, they advise booking as early as possible if travel dates are fixed, as airlines are continuing to witness strong demand despite the gradual return of services.
For travellers with flexible plans, September may offer slightly better opportunities, particularly on routes to Mumbai and Delhi. But for now, the return of more flights has not translated into cheaper tickets, especially for those heading to South India.
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.