Deluge-hit Dubai airport slowly returns to normalcy, fares begin to climb
₹50,000-60,000, as against an average fare of ₹15,000-20,000 earlier. Similarly, fares for direct flights on Delhi-Dubai route have also surged to ₹50,000-60,000, against an average ₹20,000-25,000 earlier. The Dubai airport has a capacity to handle 90 million passengers per annum and provides connectivity to around 260 destinations worldwide with more than 100 airlines.
The airport, which is a major global aviation hub, handled 86.9 million passengers in 2023 and expects to witness 88.8 million footfalls this year. Latest data for October-December released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation showed that 3.02 million passengers travelled between India and Dubai during the quarter, translating into a daily traffic of 32,000-33,000 passengers. Currently, there are 23 cities that provide direct flights to Dubai.
These are Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kannur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Tiruchirappalli, and Thiruvananthapuram. Due to the backlog resulting from flight cancellations past two days, airlines have alerted passengers about congestion. UAE’s largest airline Emirates has said that it has lifted restrictions on check-in for departures from Dubai, but has asked customers to arrive at the airport only after confirming the flight status as the airprot remains congested.
“There may still be delays to arriving and departing flights. While some customers have been able to return home or reach their destination, we are aware that many are still waiting to get on flights," Emirates said in a statement. Emirates is also the largest international airline in overseas air traffic to and from India
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