Sharjah: Travel woes from the UAE to Kerala are worsening due to high airfares and a reduction in the number of flight services. This has made it difficult for families to plan trips in advance.

Usually, tickets are booked months ahead, especially with the UAE school holidays in mind, to get lower fares. But in the current situation, families are worried about how they can afford to travel home amid steep ticket prices.

The ongoing West Asian conflict, with no signs of easing, has further worsened the situation. The reduction in flight services from the UAE to countries including India has come as a major setback. With limited flights, seats are hard to find, and travellers say they are unable to travel home even in emergencies. There is also uncertainty about being able to return as planned after reaching home.

Many were unable to travel home for the recent Eid celebrations due to these issues. High travel costs also led to lower participation of expatriates in the Assembly elections and candidates feel that it may affect results in several constituencies. Vishu is usually a peak travel period for expatriate Malayalis, but this year, many could not make the trip.

S Mohammed Jabir, a native of Kannur based in Sharjah, said he couldn’t travel home even after his father’s death due to high fares and limited flights — a situation similar to the COVID period.

Travel operators say that airlines, including IndiGo, have reduced daily services from around 40 to just 10 on some routes between the UAE and India. This sharp drop has caused ticket prices to surge.

Rising global fuel prices have also increased airfares, leading to instability in ticket availability, according to travel agency owners. Earlier, passengers had the option of five to six daily flights on domestic routes in India, but now it has dropped to just one or two. Airline schedules are also being released only about a week in advance.

Meanwhile, there is strong demand for travel to European countries, while trips to CIS countries have declined sharply. If the West Asian conflict continues, the travel crisis is likely to worsen further. However, a peace agreement could quickly restore normalcy.