Eid Al Fitr likely to fall on April 21; 4-day Eid Al Fitr break with airfares to rise during the occasion

The first day of Eid Al Fitr is likely to fall on Friday, April 21 and the airfares from the UAE to India, Pakistan, GCC and other Middle Eastern countries are likely to go up by up to 150 per cent between now and close to Eid Al Fitr as a large number of residents travel during the occasion.

Therefore, travel agents in the UAE recommend that the earlier people book the seats, the better it is, especially for the larger families who can a handsome amount by booking early seats.

Avinash Adnani, Managing Director of Pluto Travels, said the upward trend in airfares on the Indian Subcontinent and other Gulf, and Middle Eastern routes remains the same because they’re Muslim countries.

“Getting a seat a week before Eid Al Fitr becomes a challenge for travellers from the UAE. On the Indian subcontinent routes, Kerala, Lucknow, Delhi, Dhaka, Colombo, Karachi, Lahore and Mumbai see the biggest increase,” he said.

Current fares to Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Islamabad

Dh400-500 one-way

Dh1,000-1,200 Return

Eid Al Fitr fares to Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi, Islamabad

Dh1,000-1,200 one-way

Dh2,500-3,000 Return

Adnani stated that airfares to almost all Muslim countries go up during the Eid festivals as a large of UAE residents travel to their home countries to celebrate the festival with their families.

According to astronomical calculations revealed by Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society, the holy month of Ramadan is likely to start on Thursday, March 23. As the holy month will last for 29 days, the first day of Eid Al Fitr is likely to fall on Friday, April 21.

The official Eid Al Fitr holiday in the UAE is from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3 (Hijri Islamic calendar months). If the astronomical calculations are correct, the break is from Thursday, April 20, to Sunday, April 23.

Some residents also opt for holidays and short breaks to popular destinations that are 7-8 hours away by air, during the Eid Al Fitr holidays.