Airlines are seeing a big rush for bookings from India for international travel through the UAE, with the US opening up for fully vaccinated passengers from Monday, travel industry executives said.
UAE airlines such as Emirates and Etihad Airways are seeing the maximum demand for bookings to the US and other destinations in the West, as Dubai and Abu Dhabi remain the favourite transit hubs for passengers from India.
“All the Gulf carriers operating from India are doing superbly well on the bookings and passenger load fronts after the US decision to open up its borders for foreign nationals who have taken both the [vaccine] shots,” Amit Udani, executive director at Mumbai-based Fly Aerolink Travel, told Arabian Business.
“The rush for transit through Dubai and Abu Dhabi, however, is bound to squeeze seat availability for UAE-bound passengers from India as it is more profitable for carriers to fly onward journey passengers,” added the senior executive of the leading Mumbai-based travel services provider.
The US lifted restrictions for travel from countries like India, the UK, China and the EU countries from November 8, after its Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lowered the risk level for travellers from these countries.
As per its advisory, passengers must be fully inoculated with vaccines that are authorised by the Food and Drug Administration or have an Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organisation. Passengers, however, need to undergo a negative Covid test 72 hours prior to boarding the flight.
Travel and airline industry sources said both Indian and the UAE carriers are currently facing major challenges on seat capacities as flight services between the two countries continued to be allowed only under the bilateral air bubble arrangement.
“With the total number of flights to Dubai and other destinations in the UAE remaining limited due to the ‘air bubble’ restrictions, supply [of airline seats] has become a major issue for travel to the UAE and beyond from there,” a senior executive with an Indian airline, who wished not to be identified, told Arabian Business.
Industry sources said airlines are expected to take up the issue of seat capacity with the aviation regulators of both countries in view of the rising demand for travel between the two countries.
“This is leading to a further rise in airfares to destinations such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi from various cities in India,” a senior executive with a Kochi-based travel firm said.
A one-way ticket to Dubai on economy class is listed for $742, while business class is priced at $2,176 for travel later this week on the Emirates’ site. On certain days, the airline site is showing ‘sold out’ for economy, business and even first classes.
Scheduled international passenger flights to and from India remain suspended since March last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the suspension is announced until November 30, and indications are that the government is most likely to extend the date further.
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