India is getting set for an influx of travellers from next week when the country resumes regular international flight services.
From March 27, commercial airlines can fly to the country after nearly two years.
Many people have been waiting on the restrictions to lift — India is now the second most popular destination booked from the UAE for the rest of the year, according to data from travel agency site Skyscanner. The Philippines, which lifted its nearly two-year ban on tourists in February, remains the most popular destination booked from the UAE.
“India resuming its regular schedule of flights is good news for travellers hoping to reconnect with friends and family or looking for a well-deserved break away,” said Laura Lindsay, global travel trends and destination expert at Skyscanner.
“We’re seeing strong demand for trips to India from the UAE, particularly the week commencing April 25, ahead of Eid Al Fitr."
Mumbai, Kochi and Hyderabad top destinations
News of the country's reopening also led to a surge in flight searches via travel meta-search engine Wego.
The company recorded an 18 per cent rise in interest in travel from the UAE to India in the week that the easing of restrictions was announced.
“India will finally resume international flights from March 27, a step many have been waiting for. This will impact the airfares as well as the seat capacity," said Mamoun Hmedan, chief commercial officer and managing director at Wego, Mena and India.
Mumbai, Kochi and Hyderabad top the list for UAE travellers, according to data from Skyscanner.
From India, the UAE is the third most popular destination booked this year, behind domestic travel around India and flights to the UK.
Skyscanner also said that the week commencing March 28, directly after India's flight restrictions ease, is the most popular period this year for travel to the UAE from the country.
Fares to India remain competitive as air bubbles end
The end of restrictive air bubble policies with countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman could mean a dip in fares for travel to and from India.
“The air bubbles were expensive and had limited capacity. Now people can choose the most affordable flights and routes that work best for them,” said Hmedan.
“Currently the airfare from the UAE to India is $200 on average and around $235 from India to the UAE, and we expect the airfares to drop more as more flights resume.”
Despite a rise in oil prices around the world, Skyscanner expects fares to India to continue to be competitive.
“As we’ve seen elsewhere, as travel begins to recover in earnest, we expect providers to continue to offer good value and flexibility in order to meet growing demand and remain competitive, which ultimately means more consumer choice. While we may see some carriers increase fares to offset increased costs, most airlines will do everything they can to price attractively to stay ahead of the competition,” said Lindsay.
March and May cheapest months for UAE to India travel
May is currently one of the cheapest months to fly to India, with return fares from Dubai to Mumbai starting at Dh820.
Abu Dhabi to Kochi in March is another good choice for travellers seeking cheaper fares, with direct return flights from Dh916.
From India to the UAE, fares from Mumbai to Dubai are currently cheapest in April, with tickets from Dh1,063.
March is currently the cheapest month to fly to Abu Dhabi from New Delhi with flights from Dh914. These fares were correct on Skyscanner on March 18, but are subject to change
Travellers hoping to find the lowest possible fares for flights can set up alerts on Skyscanner to be notified when prices drop.
The specs
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Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
GROUPS AND FIXTURES
Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain
Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia
Tuesday
4.15pm: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
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Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
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Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Scoreline
Syria 1-1 Australia
Syria Al Somah 85'
Australia Kruse 40'
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
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