News Brief
Diwali Delight: Average Airfares Drop Up To 25 Per Cent On Key Domestic Routes — What You Need To Know
SpiceJet and IndiGo planes parked at the Indira Gandhi International airport. (Ramesh Pathania/Mint via Getty Images)
Domestic air travellers may have something to cheer about this Diwali, with average airfares on several routes decreasing by 20-25 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to an analysis.
The reduction in ticket prices has been attributed to several factors including an increase in flight capacity and a recent drop in oil prices.
The analysis by the travel platform ixigo indicates that domestic airfares have seen a drop ranging from 20 to 25 per cent on key routes.
The prices are for one-way average fare on a 30 days APD (advanced purchase date) basis.
For 2023, the analysis focused on fares between 10 and 16 November, while for 2024, it looked at fares from 28 October to 3 November—both periods covering the Diwali season.
The sharpest decline in airfare, 38 per cent, was observed on the Bengaluru-Kolkata route, where prices dropped to Rs 6,319 from last year’s Rs 10,195.
Similarly, the Chennai-Kolkata route saw a 36 per cent reduction, with fares falling to Rs 5,604 from Rs 8,725.
A significant drop of 34 per cent was also recorded for Mumbai-Delhi flights, where average fares decreased from Rs 8,788 to Rs 5,762.
On routes such as Delhi-Kolkata, Hyderabad-Delhi, and Delhi-Srinagar, airfares dropped by 32 per cent.
"Last year, airfares around Diwali had surged due to limited capacity, primarily driven by the suspension of Go First airline. However, this year we've seen some relief as additional capacity has been added since then, leading to a 20-25 per cent YoY (year-on-year) dip in average airfares across key routes for the last week of October," ixigo Group CEO Aloke Bajpai was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
He added that a 15 per cent drop in oil prices this year has likely contributed to the lower airfares, providing travellers with more affordable options during the festive season.
Currently, oil prices are slightly on the upward trajectory amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Meanwhile, some routes have seen airfare hikes of up to 34 per cent.
While the ticket price has jumped 34 per cent on Ahmedabad-Delhi route to Rs 8,758 from Rs 6,533, the rise is 33 per cent on Mumbai-Dehradun route to Rs 15,527 from Rs 11,710, according to the analysis.
