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.
