Summer air travel in India has tuned costlier as air fares surged 40% due to increased demand and reduced services. Factors such s pilot strikes and global conflicts have contributed to the price rise. There is hardly any relief in sight for air passengers until FY26.
Traveling becomes costly this summer season, increased by 40 percent (Pic- Pixaby)
New Delhi: Air travellers in India are finding flight tickets more expensive than ever before during this Summer Season. With this being the peak summer holiday season, more and more people are flocking on a flight to get away from city life or spend some quality time with their families. The cost of flight tickets has surged by up to 40 per cent. The rise in airfares is not solely due to a higher number of travellers but also because of the reduction in air services by certain airlines on specific routes, according to a Money9 report.
India has one of the busiest air routes globally, with over 1.25 million planes taking off each month. In April 2024 alone, 1.35 crore flights were recorded. Approximately 4.5 lakh passengers fly daily, representing a small yet significant portion of India’s population that relies on air travel. Air travellers are now facing challenges due to strikes by pilots and cabin crew of leading airlines such as Tata Group owned Air India and Vistara.
Why are air fares on the rise?
The Centre for Aviation (CAPA) has reported a concerning trend. Over the past 20 years, the top 20 domestic routes in India have seen little growth. However, in the last 6 quarters, airfare prices have escalated by 40 per cent on key routes such as Mumbai-Delhi, Bengaluru-Delhi, Bengaluru-Mumbai, and Delhi-Hyderabad.
Several factors have contributed to this rise in air ticket prices over the past 3 years. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the aviation industry and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has further heightened fuel prices. Additionally, a shortage of aircraft has placed additional strain on the industry, with an average of 150 aircraft being dumped.
When will air fares cool down?
The situation has worsened owing to the operational issues faced by Go Air over the past year, reducing the number of available aircraft. These challenges may persist, with prices likely to remain elevated until 2025-2026, before cooling down, according to CAPA. Historically, the rise in airfares is stark. In the domestic market, the average price of a flight ticket was Rs 4,989 in 2003-2004, which increased to Rs 11,000 in 2019-2020.
The aftermath of COVID-19 has only intensified this trend, hitting the aviation sector hard and resulting in higher travel costs. As summer travellers navigate these increased expenses, the hope remains that the aviation industry will stabilise in the coming years, bringing some relief to passengers. Until then, the cost of summer travel by air is expected to remain high, impacting many holiday plans.
