Dubai/Muscat: Bringing relief to expatriates from Kerala, airfares from Dubai and Oman to the state have fallen sharply on the days before Eid-ul-Fitr. For instance a Dubai-Kochi ticket costs only 291 UAE Dirhams (AED) which is Rs 6,500 on April 17 and 18.
On the following two days, the fare is AED 514 and 580 respectively and then comes down to AED 380 (Rs 8,400) on April 20 and 21.
The lowest fares on April 17, 18 are on Indigo, while Air India offers tickets at AED 301. The fare on Etihad is AED 450 and on Emirates AED 510.
However, the fares are high for travelling from Kerala to the Gulf. On Indigo, a Kochi-Dubai ticket was priced at AED 602 on April 17. On April 18, the fare was AED 400.
Meanwhile, the fare to Thiruvananthapuram is AED 300 (Rs 6,600) and is in the range of AED 300-400, except on April 20, when it crosses AED 500.
On April 17, a ticket to Kozhikode on Air India Express cost AED 290 only (Rs 6,400). On April 19, it is AED 614, on April 20 AED 570 and from April 21 to 23 AED 295.
Oman tickets
Ticket fares from Oman to Kerala also have witnessed a similar decline. Even on the day before Eid-ul-Fitr, an Oman-Kerala ticket costs less than 50 Riyals (AED 500).
During previous years, the fares were four times this amount.
On Air India Express, tickets are priced at 37 Riyals to Kozhikode on April 18. During April 19-20 the fare is 54 Riyals. From April 21, the fare is 37 Riyals.
On the Muscat-Kannur route, the fare is 35 Riyals on April 17 and 64 Riyals on April 19.
To Kochi, the fares are less than 42 Riyals till April 18 and the next day, it is 71 Riyals. On April 20, the fare is 81 Riyals.
In the Thiruvananthapuram sector, the fare is less than 42 Riyals till April 18 and on the subsequent days will rise to 71-81 Riyals before falling again.
Low demand
The ticket rates fell following poor demand as schools have reopened in the Gulf and those who planned to travel to Kerala during Ramadan had booked their seats much in advance. Another cause is that the Vishu celebrations are over.
Travel agencies said that most expatriates are planning to travel to Kerala only during June, when school holidays start in the Gulf countries.
