Surat residents face steep travel costs during Diwali holidays

Travellers wishing to fly from Surat to Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the Diwali holidays will have to be prepared to pay hefty airfares. One-way fares for Air India Express's daily Surat-Dubai flight and its Surat-Sharjah flight, which operates three days a week, have risen to between ₹48,000 and ₹50,000. Fares this high are also being quoted for travel during the period up to 30 November over the Diwali holidays. The one-way fare for a ticket on 1 November has also been recorded at ₹48,000, causing considerable concern among travellers.

Tour operators concerned, flight tickets alone weighing heavily on travel budgets According to tour operators associated with Surat's tourism sector, the cost of air travel alone is placing a heavy burden on the overall travel budgets of people wishing to visit the UAE.

Amid rising demand from travellers during the holiday season, airlines have imposed a steep increase in ticket fares from Surat to both UAE cities, citing higher aviation fuel costs.

However, with one-way ticket prices ranging from ₹48,000 to ₹50,000, travelling to Dubai or Sharjah is proving extremely expensive for travellers. It remains to be seen whether these fares will come down during the holiday season or whether travellers will have to pay such a large amount.