India-UAE Diwali, Dussehra flights: Fares from Dh945 as demand picks up

Dubai: Indian travelers planning to return home for the Dussehra and Diwali festivals can find reasonably priced airfares, with demand starting to increase ahead of the holiday season. Dussehra is on October 20, followed by Diwali on November 8, a peak period for India-bound travel from the UAE. For travel between October 19 and November 9, fares from Dubai to major Indian cities are currently under Dh1,500, according to checked prices.

A Dubai-Mumbai ticket costs around Dh1,072, while Dubai-New Delhi is approximately Dh1,439. Cheaper options are available for destinations like Kochi (Dh945), Bengaluru (Dh945), and Hyderabad (Dh1,017). However, some tier-two cities have higher fares due to fewer flight frequencies. For example, Dubai-Varanasi is priced at about Dh2,303, and Dubai-Jaipur is around Dh1,426.

Sharjah also offers affordable options to major Indian cities, with fares starting at around Dh945 for Bengaluru and Dh1,042 for Kochi. Air India and Air India Express expect healthy bookings for the festive and winter period, with some last-minute bookings already visible. The airlines are operating 272 weekly flights between India and the UAE during the winter schedule, with prices expected to rise as availability decreases in late October.