Increased Airfares Cause Concern Among Gulf Travelers Heading to Kerala for Onam Festivities

Rising airfares have created concerns among individuals from the Gulf region who wish to travel for the Onam celebrations in Kerala. The demand surge has prompted airlines to raise ticket prices by approximately 200 percent, affecting Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) and their ability to make the journey. This situation has also had a significant impact on NRI families returning to the Gulf countries after the summer break.

Previously, flights that were priced below Rs 7000 are now being sold for much higher amounts, ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh. Travelers flying between Dubai and Kozhikode are facing similar inflated costs. The travel expenses for the route between Dubai and Cochin International Airport now vary between Rs 13,000 and Rs 1,04,738. Similarly, for Thiruvananthapuram, the costs range from Rs 28,000 to Rs 2,45,829.

At present, there are no available tickets for travel between Kozhikode and Sharjah for the upcoming two weeks. However, looking ahead to the first week of September, a trip to or from Sharjah is projected to cost around Rs 33,080 to Rs 66,404 in Kozhikode, Rs 22,660 to Rs 90,522 in Thiruvananthapuram, and Rs 19,000 to Rs 64,741 in Kochi. Tickets are obtainable for travel to Abu Dhabi at prices ranging from Rs 36,902 to Rs 1,50,219 from Kozhikode, Rs 22,000 to Rs 2,67,409 from Kochi, and Rs 27,078 to Rs 1,29,109 from Thiruvananthapuram.