Global Outlook

 As ex-pats come home after the summer break, it is anticipated that airfares from several places in India to the UAE may increase by as much as 45 to 50% this month. Travel agents are reporting a sharp increase in demand for airline tickets from South Indian cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, and Kozhikode. Travel agents reported a rise in demand for airline tickets from Mumbai and Delhi to the UAE. After the summer vacation, corporate travel is expected to begin, which will cause demand and ticket costs to skyrocket, they noted. "The rates of one-way tickets from various sectors throughout India into the UAE will witness a spike of 45 to 50% after August 15," said Raheesh Babu, group chief operating officer of online travel agency Musafir.com. Before August 15, the average cost of a one-way ticket between Mumbai and locations in the Kerala sector was Dh1,200. However, from August 15 to August 30, prices are soaring. They cost, on average, Dh1,300 to Dh1,900. Although t...