HYDERABAD: After UAE lifted the ban on travellers from India, the flights from Hyderabad International Airport are priced at double the usual prices. IndiGo, Flydubai, Air Arabia, Air India (most of them non-stop flights) are offering tickets priced between Rs 20,000 (economy) and Rs 26,000, to different destinations in UAE. Owing to this, many natives of Telangana who work in the Gulf have decided to wait another week to book their tickets.
“Some of us have decided to wait for another week. We hope that the ticket prices would return to normal, or at least become more affordable,” said Thirupathi Parsa, a native of Mustabad in Rajanna-Sircilla district.
Parsa, who could only return from Dubai after the second wave of Covid-19, was present during the death anniversaries of his mother and brother, both of whom succumbed to Covid-19 during the first wave. Parsa now wishes to go back to the Gulf to resume work.
Like him, there are scores of others in his village and neighbouring towns who are eager to go back to the Gulf, but the steep prices of flight tickets is forcing them to wait for more time. “The prices should come down in another week, once this rush is cleared,” Parsa added.
Emirates is charging Rs 35,450 for a one-way ticket while Vistara is charging around Rs 34,000. Obaid Qureshi, CEO of Link Holidays, says, “Most of those approaching us do not have issues with fares, as they wish to reach UAE at the earliest. These are residents (who have regular jobs there). UAE is yet to start issuing visit visas,” he said.
Some people who returned to their native places earlier this year, and had hoped of spending the rest of their lives in India, have changed their minds. They now wish to return to UAE to earn more money, citing price rise, increased expenses and lack of government support back home.
“You can see beelines at Vaccination centers at Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad and other places. Most of them aspire to go back to Dubai or Sharjah,” said J Srinivas, who returned more than a year ago.
“I am not able to educate my children by staying here. Once the rush is clear, within a month or two I shall go back to the Gulf and get whatever job I can find,” he added.