Airfares on several UAE routes have shown significant fluctuations ahead of the Eid al Adha travel period, with ticket prices on select dates dropping by nearly 50 per cent as demand shifts across key destinations.
Travellers across the Emirates are weighing whether to book immediately or wait for potential last-minute price changes as airlines adjust fares during the peak holiday season, News.Az reports, citing Khaleej Times.
A review of flight booking data found wide variations in one-way fares depending on departure dates, with some routes showing steep declines just days apart.
On the Dubai–Islamabad route, fares for May 25 departures were significantly higher than later dates, while tickets for May 29 dropped to as low as Dh669.
Similar price swings were recorded on Lahore flights, where late May departures were notably cheaper than earlier Eid-week travel dates.
Istanbul routes also showed large differences, with fares dropping by several hundred dirhams on later departures, while Cairo flights followed a similar pattern of lower prices toward the end of the travel period.
However, some high-demand destinations such as Kochi remained consistently expensive across multiple dates due to strong seasonal demand.
Travel industry representatives said many UAE residents are booking earlier this year to secure better fares, while others are still waiting for potential last-minute offers on select short-haul routes.
Experts noted that destinations including Thailand, Vietnam, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Maldives and Turkey continue to see strong Eid demand, alongside traditional family travel routes to India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon.
Industry analysts also expect airlines to add extra capacity on busy routes closer to Eid, which could result in limited promotional fares, although overall prices are likely to remain elevated as demand peaks.