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UAE-India flights: Family of 4 faces up to Dh37,000 for last-minute summer travel
Travellers flying to Mumbai could find return tickets for as low as Dh1,200 on some airlines, while flying to Chennai can cost just over Dh1,600
- PUBLISHED: Tue 16 Jun 2026, 1:36 PM
Summer travel to India is likely to become expensive for UAE residents this year, with return airfares on some routes touching Dh9,250 per passenger, enough to push the cost of travel for a family of four to nearly Dh37,000.
A Khaleej Times analysis of return fares searched in the second week of June for travel between August 1 and 31 found significant differences across Indian destinations, with some routes costing several times more than others.
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The analysis examined fares across airlines, including Emirates, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and other carriers. Among the routes checked, Hyderabad is the costliest, with return fares touching Dh9,250 per passenger. Delhi is next at Dh9,090, while fares to Kochi reached Dh7,800.
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By comparison, travellers flying to Mumbai could find return tickets for as little as Dh1,204 on some airlines, while fares to Chennai started from Dh1,678. The difference in fares means that while a family of four travelling to Hyderabad may spend nearly Dh37,000 on tickets alone, those flying to Mumbai on lower-cost carriers could travel for less than Dh5,000.
Travel agents attributed the spike to strong summer demand, school holidays and shrinking seat availability. "This is among the highest fares we have seen in recent years," said Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism.
"Many flights for August and even the end of June are nearly sold out. South India remains the most expensive because demand is extremely high during the summer holidays," he said.
Agents also said that some travellers are now exploring alternative routes to reduce costs.
"There are people considering flying to Mumbai first and then taking domestic flights to Kerala. It may involve longer travel times and layovers, but it can result in substantial savings," said Subair.
Bharat Aidasani, managing partner at Pluto Travels, said school holidays in the UAE are driving bookings. "Bookings are in demand for the summer holidays, and there is a school holiday impact as well. Families want to travel together, and August this year is in high demand. Flights are getting full," he said.
Aidasani added that fares could rise further as availability shrinks closer to departure dates.
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.