MUMBAI: Airfares soared and demand for private jets boomed Friday as Indians who could afford it scrambled to escape a Covid surge before flights to the United Arab Emirates shut down.
All flights from the UAE to India -- one of the world's busiest air corridors -- will be suspended from Sunday as coronavirus cases in the South Asian nation reach record levels and overwhelm hospitals.
Price comparison websites showed one-way commercial flights from Mumbai to Dubai on Friday and Saturday costing as much as 80,000 rupees ($1,000), around 10 times the usual rate.
Tickets for the New Delhi to Dubai route were going for more than 50,000 rupees, five times the normal level.
No tickets were on offer from Sunday when the 10-day flight suspension comes into force.
For private jets, the amount of interest was "absolutely crazy", a spokesman for charter company Air Charter Service India told AFP.
"We have 12 flights going to Dubai tomorrow and each flight is completely full," the spokesman said.
"I've fielded almost 80 enquiries for flying to Dubai today alone," said a spokesman for Enthral Aviation, another provider.
"We have requested more aircraft from abroad to meet the demand... It costs $38,000 to hire a 13-seater jet from Mumbai to Dubai, and $31,000 to hire a six-seater aircraft," he told AFP.
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