DOHA: Airlines are witnessing a huge rush ahead of Eid Al Adha and winter holidays, promising a boom for the travel industry after a long period of lull.

Industry sources said yesterday that flights to major destinations have been fully booked until the first week of December. The demand is particularly high in the Asian and Middle Eastern sectors.

The travel industry here had been hit hard by a low passenger traffic mainly due to the swine flu scare. “There was a considerable drop in the passengers during summer. However, winter is expected to be much better. We have good demand from vacationers as well as tourists,” said the official of a leading travel agency.

Most of the Asian expatriate schools will be closing next week for the Eid Al Adha and winter holidays. They will reopen in the first week of January.

Families have already started leaving on vacation anticipating a bigger rush in the days to come. A number of expatriates staying without families will also be heading home to celebrate the festive season back home. The official said the low air fares were another reason that has triggered the current rush for tickets.

“Flights to most Asian destinations are already full. The same is the case with Middle Eastern destinations like Egypt and Lebanon. Far East is also attracting a number of tourists this time, unlike the summer,” said the official.

He said the biggest rush had been experienced to a South Indian destination- Kozhikode- due to cancellation of some flights operating to the sector.

The Jet Airlines and Indian Airlines have recently stopped operating to this city located in the north of Kerala. Many passengers who failed to get a direct flight to Kozhikode have ended up with booking for flights operating to the nearest destinations such and Kochin and Trivandrum.