Airfares likely to remain high in 2024 amid aviation’s green push and strong demand

If you thought you paid eye-watering prices for flight tickets this year, think again.

Airfares, which soared during the post-pandemic travel boom, are likely to remain high in 2024 and for several years, according to industry analysts and executives.

Airlines’ higher operational costs, use of expensive sustainable aviation fuels, inflationary pressures, geopolitical tensions and supply chain bottlenecks are likely to keep fares high, experts said.

“Specific routes and regions may see higher fares due to increased travel demand, limited capacity, or geopolitical instability,” Linus Bauer, founder and managing director of Bauer Aviation Advisory, told The National.

“For example, long-haul international routes will experience higher fares compared to domestic or regional routes.”

Real return fares per passenger are estimated to reach $288 in 2023, up from $284 in 2022, $231 in 2021 and $216 in 2020, but still below the pre-Covid levels of $315 in 2019, according to data from the…