Airfares of special flights from West Asia to India soar

The airfares of special flights being operated from West Asia to India have reportedly reached predatory levels following the partial reopening of airspaces that were closed in the wake of the war between Iran and the combined forces of the U.S. and Israel.

Although scheduled flights between various Indian cities and Muscat, Riyadh, and Jeddah have remained largely unaffected, the suspension of scheduled flights from the UAE and Doha – which are also major transit points for expatriates from India heading to various European destinations and other parts of the globe – has sent ticket fares through the roof.

In the absence of scheduled flights, airlines have been operating special flights to India from the UAE after the partial reopening of the Emirates’ airspace. As of Friday (March 6, 2026), the airfares of budget airlines such as Air India Express and Air Arabia from Dubai to Kochi are in the range of ₹59,549 and ₹61,384, respectively. A ticket on Air Arabia from Abu Dhabi to Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday (March 7) is priced at ₹44,216. Similarly, a flight ticket from Dubai to Mumbai costs ₹83,389 on SpiceJet, ₹1,21,985 on Air Arabia, and ₹1,50,180 on Flydubai on March 7, according to various booking platforms. Airfares to other destinations in the country have also surged significantly.

The exorbitantly high airfares have prompted passengers to demand that international airfares to and from West Asia be capped, similar to the fare cap imposed by the Union government on domestic routes during the recent IndiGo crisis, which curbed the steep surge in fares.

However, Biji Eapen, national president of the IATA Agents Association of India, said there are practical difficulties in implementing a cap on fares on international routes, as was done earlier on domestic routes during the IndiGo crisis, because multiple players are involved in the sector, including airlines from other countries. However, the Centre can explore the possibility of fixing special fares for evacuating stranded transit passengers and emergency travellers, Mr. Eapen said.

CM writes to PM

“During the 1990 Iraq–Kuwait war, the Indian government evacuated around 1,76,000 people from Kuwait in about 500 flights. Even if the Centre does not evacuate stranded Indians now, it can intervene to reduce at least the predatory fares by fixing special rates during such an emergency,” Mr. Eapen said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to actively engage with airlines to regulate ticket fares during this hour of distress, following reports of flight operators charging excessively inflated ticket prices several times higher than normal fares to India, exploiting the crisis and rendering travel unaffordable for many expatriates. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the State has also called for setting up a specific helpline or registration channel for transit passengers, distinct from resident Indians, given their unique vulnerability of being stranded in a foreign country without luggage, accommodation, or local contacts.