Travel managers have reported that airfare prices have dropped to their lowest levels since last October for flights to the most in-demand Arab destinations, starting from the second week of January. They noted that the percentage decrease in ticket prices has exceeded 50% compared to the peak of last December. They told «Al Ittihad» that January and February represent a «golden period» for booking travel at lower prices, whether for leisure or even for business trips, expecting these low price levels to continue until the end of February. They also anticipate a gradual increase as the Eid al-Fitr and spring school holidays approach, emphasizing the importance of advance travel planning and booking tickets well in advance. These destinations include: the Syrian capital Damascus, the Lebanese capital Beirut, the Jordanian capital Amman, the Egyptian capital Cairo, the city of Alexandria, as well as the Moroccan city of Casablanca. In detail, the Executive Director of «STS» in the «Dubai Link» group, Salah Mansour, stated that airfare prices have entered a natural price correction phase since the second week of this January, following the end of the peak season (during December 2025 and the first week of January 2026). This is attributed to the return from holidays and the end of the first semester break. He explained that the high demand for travel has returned to its normal levels for this time of year with the end of the holiday season, which was directly reflected in the prices, especially for short and medium-haul flights. Mansour added that the current prices are the lowest since last October, pointing out that some destinations are seeing prices drop by almost half compared to the second half of December. He also mentioned that airfare prices to several Arab stations have returned to very attractive levels, suitable for travelers for family visits or short tourism. He stated that airlines are adopting pricing policies that align with demand levels, noting that the significant capacity provided by airlines during the winter season also contributed to increased price competition. «Currently, supply exceeds demand after the holidays, which pushes companies to offer lower prices to maintain stable load factors, specifically to destinations where airlines have large seating capacity,» he said. On another front, the General Manager of «Al Awadi Travel», Amin Al Awadi, said: «What we are witnessing in the market during this January is a normal occurrence for this time of year». He noted that prices have returned to their normal levels outside of peak times. Al Awadi added: «Prices were high in December, which makes the current levels low if we make comparisons». He mentioned that during the peak of December 2025, airfare prices reached high levels, especially on destinations with high demand from residents in the UAE, making the margin of decline in January exceed 50% in many cases. He clarified: «When prices rise to high levels during the peak season, the return to normal rates afterward appears as a sharp drop, even though in reality it reflects market balance». Al Awadi explained that «the most in-demand destinations were the most affected by the price correction due to their heavy reliance on seasonal and family travel, but conversely, we find that distant destinations, which usually maintain more stable price levels, have a lower rate of decline». He said that January and February 2026 represent an ideal period for booking travel at lower prices, whether for leisure or even for business trips. He pointed out that airlines are currently relying on flexible pricing strategies based on short-term offers to stimulate demand during the post-peak period, expecting these low price levels to continue at least until the end of February, with a possibility of a gradual increase as the Eid al-Fitr and spring school holidays approach. In turn, the Executive Director of «Dubai World Travel», Badr Ahli, said that the current airfare price levels represent a «golden opportunity» for travelers wishing to travel to destinations at competitive prices. He noted that demand during this January is characterized by relative calm compared to December 2025, which prompts airlines to offer incentive prices to maintain good performance rates. «We are currently noticing an increasing interest from flexible travelers who are using this drop to re-book trips they had postponed due to high prices at the end of the year,» he added. Ahli indicated that a wide segment of travelers find this period suitable for them to make short visits to their home countries or to book short holidays in relatively nearby destinations, confirming that this decline reflects the market's flexibility and its ability to quickly adapt to changes in demand. Ahli said: «The aviation sector is characterized by high dynamism, and prices move up and down quickly according to supply and demand, which gives the consumer good opportunities if they time their booking well». He pointed out that the current price drop encourages the activation of travel movement during the first quarter of the year, whether for tourism or family visits, expecting that this will contribute to raising occupancy rates by the end of winter. Ahli advised travelers to continuously follow up on offers, take advantage of date flexibility to achieve maximum savings, and check the terms and conditions of tickets before booking. He stated that the market will witness a new wave of price increases with the approach of upcoming holiday seasons, but it will not be as severe as what was witnessed last December. He stressed the importance of advance travel planning and booking well in advance to benefit from the current prices, as prices rise gradually, and late bookings a few days before flights are costly. Airfare prices have witnessed since the second week of January a natural price correction phase after the end of the peak season.
