Domestic airfare in India surges up to 30%: Here's why
Air travel within India has become significantly more expensive, with fares on several major routes witnessing a rise of up to 30%. The surge in prices is largely attributed to the ongoing crisis at Vistara, a Tata Sons-owned airline, which has reduced its flight operations by 10%. Additionally, the grounding of nearly 200 planes across multiple airlines has contributed to this hike.
Major routes experience significant fare increase
Travel platforms Yatra Online and Ixigo have reported that spot airfare on certain routes has seen an increase ranging from 8-30%. Bharatt Malik, Senior VP of Air and Hotel Business at Yatra Online, confirmed that fares have risen by around 20-25% on major routes such as Delhi-Goa, Delhi-Kochi, Delhi-Jammu, and Delhi-Srinagar. Similarly, Ixigo has noted substantial increases in ticket prices across various routes.
Vistara's operational cutbacks contribute to fare hike
Vistara's decision to reduce its operations by 10% follows a series of flight cancelations delays last week. These disruptions were reportedly due to a number of pilots calling in sick in protest against a new pay structure, concerns about the upcoming merger with Air India, and an allegedly over-demanding rostering system. This reduction in flights has played a significant role in the recent surge in domestic airfare prices.
Experts predict long-term impact on airfare
Aviation experts are predicting potential long-term effects of the current situation on airfare. Sanjay Lazar, an aviation lawyer, suggested that Vistara Airlines's recent cancelations could result in a fare hike of at least 25% during the peak summer season. He warned that these effects could persist into June and July, coinciding with the period of increased student international travel.
Grounding of planes exacerbates fare hike situation
Mark Martin, Founder & CEO of Martin Consulting, indicated that Vistara's decision to reduce flights has worsened the situation, leading to another wave of fare increases. He also highlighted that the grounding of nearly 200 planes across various airlines, including IndiGo, Go First, and SpiceJet, has put additional pressure on the aviation industry. This combination of factors is contributing significantly to the current surge in domestic airfare prices.
