Celebrity Match Results In Airfare Hike

19 Feb 2013

Like everything in Dubai, Air fares are also soaring. Now the air fares in the Chennai-Dubai sector have shot up with the demand rising due to the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) match coinciding with the annual Dubai shopping festival. Though the match is scheduled for the week-end, people have started to head to the dream city in the UAE.

Travel agents say those interested in shopping are combining a holiday with the match. Flights from Chennai are going full because of the high demand. Return fares which were at 17,000 have risen to between 22,000 and 25,000.

"Fares are high and flights are going full because several artists and people associated with the film world have started to travel in large numbers. Many of them have planned their trips in such a way that they can complete their shopping before the match. Agents are getting several bookings and enquires as the match nears," said Basheer Ahemed, an office-bearer of the Travel Agents' Federation of India (TAFI). There are more than five daily flights from Chennai to Dubai.

Passenger traffic is high because a good number of people have started to use Dubai as a transit hub to travel to Africa, Middle East, the UK and the US. "Many tourists make a stop in Dubai for a day or two to shop while returning from holidays in the continents of Africa or Europe. The celebrity match and shopping festival encourage people to schedule their holidays so that that they will be in Dubai for the match," said an official at Chennai airport.