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4-day Eid Al Fitr break in UAE: Flight fares to soar during long weekend

Travel agents recommend residents to book the seats earlier to get better fares, especially for larger families

Published: Mon 23 Jan 2023, 6:50 AM

Updated: Mon 23 Jan 2023, 7:48 PM

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Airfares from the UAE to India, Pakistan, GCC and other Middle Eastern countries are likely to go up by up to 150 per cent between now and close to Eid Al Fitr as a large number of residents travel during the occasion.

Therefore, travel agents in the UAE recommend that the earlier people book the seats, the better it is, especially for the larger families who can end up paying a handsome amount.


Avinash Adnani, Managing Director of Pluto Travels, said the upward trend in airfares on the Indian Subcontinent and other Gulf, and Middle Eastern routes remains the same because they’re Muslim countries.

“Getting a seat a week before Eid Al Fitr becomes a challenge for travellers from the UAE. On the Indian subcontinent routes, Kerala, Lucknow, Delhi, Dhaka, Colombo, Karachi, Lahore and Mumbai see the biggest increase,” he said.

Current fares to Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Islamabad

  • Dh400-500 one-way
  • Dh1,000-1,200 Return

Eid Al Fitr fares to Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Islamabad

  • Dh1,000-1,200 one-way
  • Dh2,500-3,000 Return

Adnani stated that airfares to almost all Muslim countries go up during the Eid festivals as a large of UAE residents travel to their home countries to celebrate the festival with their families.

According to astronomical calculations revealed by Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society, the holy month of Ramadan is likely to start on Thursday, March 23. As the holy month will last for 29 days, the first day of Eid Al Fitr is likely to fall on Friday, April 21.

The official Eid Al Fitr holiday in the UAE is from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3 (Hijri Islamic calendar months). If the astronomical calculations are correct, the break is from Thursday, April 20, to Sunday, April 23.

Short vacations

Some residents also opt for holidays and short breaks to popular destinations that are 7-8 hours away by air, during the Eid Al Fitr holidays.

TP Sudheesh, general manager of Deira Tours and Travels, since the UAE is home to around 180 different nationalities, festivals like Eid Al Fitr are a busy season to numerous places including holiday destinations for short breaks.

“In addition to heavy outbound traffic to the Indian subcontinent and Middle Eastern cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi and Cairo, even destinations like Singapore, Bangkok and Malaysia also attract a good number of UAE residents for holidays during Eid breaks,” he said.

Avinash Adnani said a few UAE residents go for a short vacation as well during Eid Al Fitr.

“Airfare to London, too, increases to some extent because the City is a popular destination and UAE residents can go there for a few days, unlike the US which is too far for a short break,” he said.

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