Airfares surge by 25% for key routes as Diwali and Onam approach

Rajnish Kumar, Group Co-CEO of ixigo, attributed these increases to a rise in travel demand. “Popular routes like Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Hyderabad are seeing average one-way fares ranging between ₹4,000-5,000, reflecting a 10-15% year-over-year increase,” he explained. Some routes, however, have experienced price drops. For example, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route has seen a 27% reduction, bringing fares down to ₹2,508.

The trend is similarly reflected in fares for flights to Kerala for Onam. Prices have jumped by 20-25% on certain routes, such as the Hyderabad-Thiruvananthapuram flight, which now costs ₹4,102, up 30% from last year. Yet, on some routes, fares have decreased by up to 35%, with the Mumbai-Udaipur flight dropping by 25% to ₹4,890.

These fare increases have led to concerns about affordability, especially during peak travel seasons. In response, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced plans to implement an online grievance mechanism to address passenger complaints about fare hikes. Currently, the government does not regulate airfares, following the repeal of the Air Corporation Act in 1994. The ministry has urged airlines to self-regulate and moderate their pricing.

Travelers are advised to book tickets early and consider flexible travel dates to manage costs effectively during this busy season. The surge in demand, coupled with limited capacity and dynamic pricing strategies by airlines, continues to drive up airfare prices as the festive season nears.