Airfare Soars As Eid Celebrations Drive Demand

In spite of the soaring prices of air travel, many individuals have chosen to pay the hefty fares in order to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr abroad. Travel agencies have reported a surge in ticket bookings and purchases over the past few days, resulting in an increase of more than 300 percent. The high demand for travel can be attributed to a variety of reasons, including people wanting to visit family, experience a change of scenery, or explore new direct flight destinations. Popular destinations include Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

Travel agent Ibrahim Raafat shared that the demand for travel reached approximately 90 percent, aligning with the introduction of new destinations by local airlines in recent years. "Travelers tend to choose countries near Kuwait, such as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The average ticket price is KD 200," he explained. Raafat also noted that ticket prices to various destinations, such as Dubai, Jeddah, Istanbul, and Cairo, have increased significantly.

Adnan Hamadi highlighted that many people traveled to London, Cairo, and Dubai for Eid, though demand for Istanbul decreased following a recent earthquake. Airline ticket prices for some destinations skyrocketed by over 300 percent during this holiday period. For instance, the price of a ticket to London increased from KD 190 to KD 690, while tickets to Cairo rose from KD 50-70 to KD 270. Prices for other nearby GCC destinations reached up to KD 200. Hamadi also mentioned that most tourists traveled to Jeddah from Kuwait after the Saudi government introduced an online tourist visa for foreigners.

Previously, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) anticipated that the number of travelers to and from Kuwait International Airport would reach 220,000 passengers during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, specifically from Thursday to April 25. Deputy Director General for Planning and Projects Affairs, Saad Al-Otaibi, confirmed the readiness of the DGCA and all its operational sectors for the Eid holiday, in cooperation with all government and non-government organizations operating at the airport. Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo, and Doha were the most popular destinations during the Eid holidays. The estimated travel movement during this period is 110,000 departures and 110,000 arrivals, with up to 1,800 flights being operated.

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