The festive season is round the corner and airfares are on the rise. A recent analysis indicates that average one-way ticket prices for major domestic routes are 10-15 per cent higher for Diwali and up to 20-25 per cent higher for flights to Kerala cities for Onam.
According to ixigo’s analysis for news agency PTI, the average one-way economy fare for a non-stop flight on the Delhi-Chennai route from October 30 to November 5 is 25 per cent higher, reaching Rs 7,618 compared to the same period last year.
For the same period, fares are 21 per cent higher on the Mumbai-Hyderabad route, at Rs 5,162. Similarly, ticket prices are up 19 per cent on the Delhi-Goa route, at Rs 5,999, and 16 per cent higher on the Delhi-Ahmedabad route, at Rs 4,930. The analysis also shows fare increases of 1-16 per cent on various other routes.
xigo’s group co-CEO Rajnish Kumar noted that travel demand for Diwali is growing, leading to higher airfares compared to last year.
Kumar said, “Popular routes like Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Hyderabad are seeing average one-way fares ranging between Rs 4,000-5,000, marking a 10-15 per cent Y-o-Y increase as the festival approaches.”
Fluctuations in airfare trends
Fares have varied significantly, with reductions ranging from 1 per cent to 27 per cent on some routes during the comparison period.
For instance, the cost of a Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight has dropped by 27 per cent to Rs 2,508, while fares for the Mumbai-Udaipur route have decreased by 25 per cent to Rs 4,890. The Bengaluru-Hyderabad flight fare has decreased by 23 per cent to Rs 3,383, while the Mumbai-Jammu route has fallen 21 per cent to Rs 7,826.
Airfare trends for select routes to Kerala during the upcoming festival show price increases ranging from 1 per cent to 25 per cent. On some routes, ticket prices have decreased by 6 to 35 per cent.
These figures represent the average one-way fare for non-stop flights departing between September 6 and September 15 this year, compared to the period from August 20 to August 29, 2023, when Onam was celebrated.
Fares for the Hyderabad-Thiruvananthapuram flight have jumped 30 per cent to Rs 4,102, with the Mumbai-Calicut flight also rising to Rs 4,448.
“Travel demand for Onam festivities has surged this year, with flight bookings and searches for travel to Kerala in the second week of September doubling compared to last year. Average airfares to key cities like Cochin, Calicut, and Thiruvananthapuram have risen by 20-25 per cent year-on-year,” Kumar said.
Minister proposes fare complaint system
Concerns about elevated airfares, particularly during peak and festival seasons, have been ongoing. In response, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu informed the Lok Sabha earlier this month about plans to implement an online system for addressing complaints. This initiative aims to prevent passengers from being subjected to unjust fare increases.
Currently, airfares are neither set nor regulated by the government following the repeal of the Air Corporation Act in March 1994. Last month, the ministry said that airlines have been encouraged to self-regulate and adopt a more moderate approach to ticket pricing.
[With agency inputs]
First Published: Aug 20 2024 | 3:19 PM IST
