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Dubai, in theUnited Arab Emirates which is a popular tourist destination may witness a surge in airfares to several Indian cities in the coming months.
According to industry experts the airfares will surge as a result of increased demand on the travel route between Dubai and Indian subcontinent. This is mainly due to the expats returning to thier home countries during the summer vacations.
It will be for the first time that travellers can travel outside Dubai as they will not be required to furnish Covid-19 negative PCR report or take approval from the General Director of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security prior to returning to the UAE.
According to a Google search the cheapest airfare between Dubai to Delhi on 11 June is ₹7,229 while a month lates that is on 11 July the cheapest airfare available between Dubai to Delhi is ₹14,400.
“Flights to home countries are expensive while flying to Europe and US is a challenge. Airfares to popular destinations to India, Pakistan and other Indian subcontinent countries will see a sharp increase in the coming weeks as expat families will increasingly fly to their home countries," said Avinash Adnani, managing director of Pluto Travels as told to Khaleej Times.
Travel requirements for UAE Citizens
Effective immediately, under the UAE travel protocol for UAE Nationals 18 years old and above, they must meet one of the following requirements to travel out of Dubai:
Must have completed one (1) dose of an approved vaccine and a period of one month has not lapsed from the date of the vaccination and the date of travel; or
Must have competed two (2) doses of an approved vaccine; or
If not vaccinated, the passenger must present a valid negative Covid‑19 PCR Test certificate that is issued within 48 hours from the time of sample collection and the time of boarding the aircraft. The COVID‑19 PCR test certificate has to be issued from an approved health service provider and must contain a QR code.
The following categories of UAE Nationals are exempted from the specified travel conditions provided they obtain an official letter from the relevant health authority in the UAE:
Individuals medically exempted from taking the vaccine
Humanitarian cases
Individuals travelling for medical and/or treatment purposes
Any exception must be obtained by the individuals from the relevant authorities before arrival to airport or making travel arrangements.
Requirements for all passengers arriving in Dubai:
From 26 February 2022, passengers travelling to Dubai from all countries (GCC included) must fulfil one of the below requirements:
Present a valid vaccination certificate(s) reflecting that the passenger is fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the WHO or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and includes a QR code
Present a valid negative COVID‑19 PCR test certificate issued within 48 hours from the time of sample collection to the time of boarding and the certificate must be issued by an approved health service provider with a QR code
Present a valid medical certificate issued by the relevant authorities that the passenger has recovered from COVID‑19 within 1 month from the date of recovery to the date of arrival