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Festival season airfare spike: Air travel costs increase for Diwali and Onam
In a recent update, airfares are going up sharply for the upcoming festival season, with average one-way ticket prices increasing by 10-15% for Diwali and 20-25% for flights to Kerala cities for Onam. The analysis report was shared by travel portal ixigo.For the period from October 30 to November 5, 2024, the average one-way fare for a non-stop flight on the Delhi-Chennai route is INR 7,618, marking a 25% increase compared to the same period last year. On the Mumbai-Hyderabad route, fares are 21% higher at INR 5,162, while on the Delhi-Goa and Delhi-Ahmedabad routes, prices have risen by 19% to INR 5,999 and 16% to INR 4,930, respectively.
For other popular routes like Delhi-Chennai, Mumbai-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Hyderabad, one-way fares are now between INR 4,000 and INR 5,000, reflecting a 10-15% year-on-year rise.
On the other hand, fares have dropped on certain routes. For example, the price for a Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight has fallen 27% to INR 2,508, while the Mumbai-Udaipur route has seen a 25% drop to INR 4,890. Bengaluru-Hyderabad flights are down by 23% to INR 3,383, and Mumbai-Jammu fares have decreased by 21% to INR 7,826.
Analysis of flight prices for Onam festivities in Kerala indicates varying trends. Fares have increased by 1-30% on some routes, while others have seen reductions of 6-35%. For example, Hyderabad-Thiruvananthapuram flights have risen by 30% to INR 4,102, and Mumbai-Calicut flights are up 30% to INR 4,448. Rajnish Kumar attributed the higher prices to a surge in travel demand, with flight bookings and searches for travel to Kerala doubling in early September compared to last year.
Concerns about high airfares, especially during peak and festival seasons, have prompted the Civil Aviation Minister, K Rammohan Naidu, to address these issues in Lok Sabha. The ministry plans to introduce an online mechanism for grievance redressal to prevent undue fare hikes.
Currently, airfares are not regulated by the government following the repeal of the Air Corporation Act in 1994. Last month, airlines were advised to self-regulate and practice moderation in pricing.
Source: Times Of India
