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Flying back to UAE in summer? Ticket prices jump up to over 100% towards August end
A comparison found the sharpest increases on some Indian and Lebanese routes, while fares from Pakistan, New York and other cities remained stable or fell
- PUBLISHED: Wed 5 Aug 2026, 6:00 AM
Airfares to the UAE have more than doubled on some popular routes between the second and final weeks of August, a Khaleej Times comparison found. The increase comes as residents prepare to return from summer holidays before schools reopen and regular work routines resume.
However, the rise is not uniform across all markets. While fares from some Indian cities and Beirut have increased, prices from Karachi, Lahore and New York remained stable or were lower during the same period.
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KT compared available one-way economy fares for travel during the second week of August with those for the final week on Tuesday. The checks covered routes from India, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, London and New York to airports in the UAE.
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Fares more than double on some routes
One of the biggest increases was seen on the Bengaluru-Dubai route. A direct IndiGo ticket available for Dh828 on August 13 was priced at Dh1,694 for August 30, an increase of more than 100 per cent.
A similar rise was seen on the Kochi-Dubai route. An IndiGo ticket priced at Dh1,424 for August 13 increased to Dh2,943 on August 30. Other available options from Kochi also rose from about Dh1,098 to Dh1,887.
Kozhikode fares increased from around Dh1,174 in the second week to between Dh1,956 and Dh2,022 in the final week. Hyderabad-Dubai fares rose from Dh857 to Dh1,321, while Mumbai-Dubai increased from Dh780 to Dh1,095.
Delhi-UAE fares rose more moderately, from around Dh877 to Dh1,167. Beirut-UAE fares increased from Dh831 to Dh1,423, while Cairo showed only a small rise from Dh1,066 to Dh1,132.
Not all routes became costlier
The same trend was not seen on several other sectors. A direct Karachi-UAE ticket priced at around Dh919 on August 11 was available for about Dh792 on August 30.
Lahore-UAE fares also fell from around Dh1,226 to about Dh1,062. Direct New York-Dubai fares remained almost unchanged at about Dh2,880, while connecting options were also broadly stable.
London fares varied depending on whether passengers chose direct or connecting flights. Some connecting options remained available for about Dh797, while direct services were considerably more expensive.
South Indian sectors see highest demand
Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wise Fox Tourism, said South Indian sectors were seeing the strongest demand, with seats filling quickly from Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
“Fares are expected to rise sharply from around August 26 and remain high until September 5, as residents return to the UAE before schools reopen. Prices are likely to ease after September 10,” he said.
Pavan Poojary of Luxury Travels said the final week of August was becoming especially busy as families planned their return journeys. “We are seeing a clear increase in demand for UAE-bound flights during the final week of August. Many families are planning to return before schools reopen, and the most convenient direct flights are filling up fast,” he said.
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.