Airfares Drop Up To 25% On Some Domestic Routes Ahead Of Diwali

New Delhi: Air passengers might have a reason to smile this Diwali season as average airfares on many domestic routes have dropped 20-25 per cent compared to the year-ago period, according to an analysis.

Domestic air fare around Diwali has dropped up to 25% compared to the corresponding period last year. Increased capacity and a fall in oil prices have contributed to the lowering of domestic flight tickets, PTI said in a report.  The report is based on the average air fare of 30 days on an Advanced Purchase Date (APD) basis.  

The APD data for the period from October 28 to November 3, 2024, was compared with the period from November 10-16, 2023. Both the periods are around Diwali. 

As per  analysis, the average airfare dropped maximum for the Bengaluru-Kolkata flight to Rs 6,319 this year from Rs 10,195 last year, marking a 38% drop. The average airfare on the Chennai-Kolkata route has dropped to Rs 5604 this year from Rs 8725, marking a 36% decline. 

The average airfare for Mumbai-Delhi flight has fallen to Rs 5762 this year to Rs 8788 last year, registering a 34% decline. The average price of Delhi-Udaipur flight ticket dropped 34% from Rs 7,469 to Rs 11,296. 

An average 32% decline has been noticed in flight tickets for Delhi-Kolkata, Delhi-Srinagar, and Hyderabad-Delhi routes.

According to industry leaders, last year airfares surged around Diwali due to suspension of Go First airline. The oil prices have also dropped 15% compared to last year, although they have increased slightly amid rising regional geopolitical tension. 

Also, flight tickets have become costlier by as much as 34% on certain routes. Ahmedabad-Delhi route with 34% and Mumbai-Dehradun with 33% are the costliest routes in terms of flight ticket prices.