Karipur: The increasing airfares have made it difficult for Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) to travel to Kerala from Gulf countries for the Onam festivities. Airline companies have increased fares by roughly 200 per cent due to increase in demand. 

The situation also severely impacted NRI families heading back to Gulf countries following the end of summer holidays at schools. 

Tickets sold for less than Rs 7000 are now priced between Rs 40,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh. Passengers flying between Dubai and Kozhikode have to pay a similar amount. Travelling to Cochin International Airport from Dubai costs somewhere between Rs 13,000 to Rs 1,04,738. In the case of Thiruvananthapuram, it costs around Rs 28,000 to Rs 2,45,829. 

Meanwhile, no tickets are available for the journey between Kozhikode and Sharjah for the next two weeks. 

However, in the first week of September, travel to Sharjah or vice verse would cost around Rs 33,080 to Rs 66,404 at Kozhikode, and Rs 22,660 to Rs 90,522 at Thiruvananthapuram, and Rs 19,000 to Rs 64,741 at Kochi. Tickets are available to Abu Dhabi for Rs 36,902 to Rs 1,50,219 from Kozhikode, Rs 22,000 to Rs 2,67,409 from Kochi, and Rs 27,078 to Rs 1,29,109 from Thiruvananthapuram.