Great pressure on “return flights” with the end of the “Al-Adha” holiday

Tourism and travel agencies confirmed that with the end of the Eid al-Adha holiday, the return flights of travelers to the Emirates are witnessing almost full occupancy rates, and great pressure on a large number of destinations after spending the holiday, pointing out that the “pressure” on return flights was expected, and greater compared to departure flights, in light of large numbers of travelers heading back within a limited period of time, which led to recording very high occupancy rates on a number of flights.

She revealed to “Emirates Today” that some travelers had to adjust their return dates, as a result of the limited seats available on direct flights, while this was more evident for reservations made at the last minutes, noting that the high demand was reflected in the prices of airline tickets, as reservation prices recorded high levels on many airlines and destinations.

A survey of airline websites showed that the return ticket currently accounts for between 60 and 75% of the total value of new reservations for tickets currently purchased for travel and return before June 2 (June 1 is the start of official working hours after the Eid al-Adha holiday), in light of the great pressure on return flights and the high demand for flights heading to the country.

Strong request

Salah Mansour, CEO of STS in the Dubai Link Travel and Tourism Group, said: “The current Eid al-Adha season has recorded a strong demand for foreign travel since the days leading up to the holiday, and the momentum has continued throughout the holiday period.”

He added to “Emirates Today”: “Many travelers left the country over several days before and during the Eid al-Adha holiday, which contributed to relatively distributing the pressure on outbound flights. However, the situation was different for return flights, as a large portion of travelers preferred to return during the same period, with the imminent resumption of work and study, which led to a remarkably high level of demand for seats heading to the Emirates.”

Salah explained that a number of flights recorded full occupancy, while other flights were close to being completely full, especially on destinations that witnessed high demand during Eid al-Adha, pointing out that this pattern is usually repeated during long seasons, when return traffic is more intense compared to departure.

He pointed out that the high demand was also reflected in airline ticket prices, as reservation prices recorded high levels on many airlines and destinations, especially for late reservations, or flights that coincide with the last days of the holiday.

He indicated that travelers who did not book return tickets in advance faced limited options during their return flights, whether in terms of prices or availability of seats, calling on travelers to plan early when traveling during official seasons and holidays.

Modify appointments

For his part, the Executive Director of Sherif House Tourism and Travel Company, Sherif Al-Farm, said that the demand for travel during the Eid Al-Adha holiday was strong this year, supported by the length of the holiday period and the desire of many residents to use it for foreign travel, whether to visit family and relatives or to spend tourist holidays.

He added: “Travel agencies observed early on a gradual increase in reservations, especially for destinations that are considered traditional for residents’ travel during the holidays, in addition to tourist destinations that witnessed growing demand during the current season for the country’s population in general.”

Al-Farm explained that “the greatest pressure appeared with the start of the return flights, as many travelers preferred to take advantage of the entire vacation period and postpone the return until the last days, which caused a significant increase in occupancy rates on flights heading to the country.”

He pointed out that some travelers had to adjust their return dates, as a result of the limited seats available on direct flights, noting that this matter was more evident for reservations made at the last minute.

He added that prices witnessed varying increases depending on destinations and timing of booking, indicating that flights that coincide with the peak return period recorded higher prices, compared to flights that precede or follow the peak period by a day or two.

Al-Farm advised travelers, who had not booked return tickets in advance, to adopt flexibility in choosing travel dates, whether by returning at different times, or immediately after the end of the peak, stressing that flexibility helps in obtaining better options in terms of prices and seat availability.

Expected pressure

In the same context, the General Manager of Belhasa Tourism Company, Narouz Sarkis, said: “The current Eid al-Adha holiday is one of the strongest travel seasons in terms of the volume of demand,” noting that “the market has witnessed active movement since the weeks leading up to the Eid, and the high pace continued until the last days of the holiday.”

He added: “The majority of demand focuses on foreign travel for the country’s residents, whether to visit or spend holidays in tourist destinations,” explaining that “the relatively long vacation period has encouraged many to travel, which has been directly reflected in the levels of demand among airline companies and travel agencies.”

Sarkis explained that “the pressure on return flights was expected, in light of large numbers of travelers heading back within a limited period of time, which led to recording very high occupancy rates on a number of flights.”

He added that late reservations were the most affected by the increase in prices, pointing out that “travelers who booked early benefited from wider options and better prices, compared to reservations close to the travel date.”

Sarkis stressed the importance of early planning for travel during the seasons, especially with regard to booking return and return flights together, adding: “This gives travelers greater flexibility, and avoids them facing a shortage of seats, or significant price increases during peak periods.”

He pointed out that “the strong demand witnessed during the Eid al-Adha season reflects the continued strong activity in travel to and from the country, driven by the position that the UAE enjoys as a major hub for air and travel traffic, in addition to the diversity of destinations served by air carriers operating in the country.”

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Sunday, May 31…the most crowded

Dubai Airports expects that Dubai International Airport will witness a noticeable influx and rising growth in the number of passengers during the Eid Al Adha holiday, driven by the high demand for travel coinciding with the week-long holiday, which will contribute to significantly stimulating travel and tourism through departing and arriving flights.

Dubai Airports told Emirates Al-Youm earlier that expectations indicate that tomorrow, Sunday, May 31, will be the busiest day during the Eid Al-Adha period, with more than 194,580 passengers expected to pass through the airport.