UAE airlines now at 40-50% of capacity as more routes reopen
Booking inquiries have shot up since ICA approval requirement was lifted
Passenger capacity on UAE airlines is now at the 4050 per cent or over mark on average as the carriers bring back more routes to their networks.
Booking inquiries have shot up after authorities said an approval from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) would no longer be required for residents returning to the country. Plus, Dubai is seeing benefits from allowing foreign visitors from July 7.
Hosting IPL tournament
The travel sector is also pinning hopes on India routes when this year’s IPL T20 cricket tournament gets cracking from September onwards at stadiums in the UAE. (One of the most visible and followed sporting events in the world, India’s domestic competition was shifted on concerns about the mounting number of Covid-19 cases.)
After three devastating months for the global airline industry from March, local carriers will be glad to see any incremental improvement in passenger numbers. And industry sources say the 40 per centplus average bodes well for the immediate future as long as the pandemic remains in check.
There is demand for flight seats to “every country from every country,” said Mohammad Shah, manager at Dubaibased Regal Tours. “The kind of business I had in recent weeks, I haven’t had in years.”
At this stage, a lot of that pent-up demand will be from those waiting to catch the first flights as and when travel to those countries are allowed.
What the industry will be watching out for is whether today’s pent-up demand can sustain itself in the coming weeks and months. For now, the demand is very much there.
“We are seeing it for all the flights,” said Javed Siddiqui, branch manager at Al Rais Travel. “Emirates and Etihad flights headed to Australia are packed as they are the only two airlines serving the region.”
Emirates and Etihad did not immediately respond to Gulf News queries on passenger traffic numbers over recent weeks. However, flydubai said it was seeing a “healthy” demand for travel on the 22 destinations it is now operating on.