Surging Airfares: Spot Prices On India's Busiest Routes Soar Up To Three Times In A Month

Over the past month, the spot airfares for five out of India's six busiest routes have experienced a significant increase, reaching up to three times their previous prices.

Conversely, for tickets bought 30 days prior to the travel date on these routes, there has been a slight rise in fares, but not exceeding 15 per cent, reports Business Standard.

On the Delhi-Mumbai route, which is India's busiest air route, the average spot airfare on 1 June stood at Rs 18,654, according to data provided by Ixigo. On 1 May, two days before Go First's exit, the average spot airfare on this route stood at Rs 6,125.

Interestingly, the prices for tickets purchased 30 days in advance have not gone up much even after Go First's exit.

In June, the average price for tickets purchased 30 days in advance on Delhi-Mumbai flights was Rs 5,475, which was 8.85 per cent more than in April.

“People who had booked seats in advance on Go First are now making spot bookings for other airlines as Go First is not operating. This has shot up the spot airfares, especially on routes where Go First had a sizable presence,” an airline executive explained.

Based on the data provided by Ixigo, the spot airfare on the Delhi-Pune route has jumped by about 214 per cent to Rs 17,220 on 1 June from Rs 5,469 on 1 May.

However, the average ticket price purchased 30 days in advance on the route has increased by just seven per cent between April and June.

Similarly, the spot airfare for the Delhi-Kolkata route has seen a notable increase of nearly 73 per cent in the past month.

However, for passengers buying tickets in advance, specifically 30 days prior to their journey, the fares have actually become 3 per cent cheaper compared to April.

The balance between demand and supply can be observed from the fact that although the average number of daily domestic flights decreased by 4.6 per cent in May, the average daily domestic passenger traffic only experienced a slight decline of 0.85 per cent.

The spot fares on domestic routes throughout the country have been influenced by several factors including the suspension of Go First's flights from 3 May. Additionally, with the onset of summer, there is an increase in leisure travel, which has further affected the spot fares.

Furthermore, sources in the aviation industry, have revealed that Indian carriers currently lack additional aircraft to immediately commence new flights.