Airfares drop by 20-25% for Diwali season
New Delhi: Air passengers in India may have something to cheer about this Diwali, as average airfares on several domestic routes have dropped by 20-25 per cent compared to last year, according to an analysis by travel portal ixigo. The drop in ticket prices is attributed to increased flight capacity and the recent decline in oil prices.
The analysis, which compares one-way fares for flights booked 30 days in advance, shows a significant reduction in airfares during the festive season. For 2023, the period analysed is November 10-16, while for 2024, it covers October 28-November 3—dates that coincide with the Diwali holidays. The most notable drop is on the Bengaluru-Kolkata route, where average fares have fallen by 38 per cent, from Rs 10,195 in 2023 to Rs 6,319 this year. Other significant decreases include the Chennai-Kolkata route, where fares are down by 36 per cent to Rs 5,604, and the Mumbai-Delhi route, which saw a 34 per cent reduction to Rs 5,762. The Delhi-Udaipur route also witnessed a 34 per cent dip, with prices dropping to Rs 7,469 from Rs 11,296.
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO of ixigo, explained that the surge in airfares last year was largely due to the suspension of Go First airline, which had caused a strain on flight capacity. “This year, we’ve seen some relief as additional capacity has been added, leading to a 20-25 per cent year-on-year dip in average airfares across key routes for the last week of October,” Bajpai said.
The fall in global oil prices, which have decreased by around 15 per cent this year, has further helped bring down airfares, though geopolitical tensions have recently caused a slight rise in oil prices.
However, not all routes have benefited from lower fares. The analysis also reveals increases of up to 34 per cent on some routes, including a sharp rise in prices on the Ahmedabad-Delhi and Mumbai-Dehradun routes, where fares have jumped by 34 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively.
This mixed trend means passengers may find both deals and price hikes depending on their travel routes.
