The average economy class fare on major routes in the country around the long Rakshabandhan weekend in August has jumped by up to 46 per cent amid high demand. The long weekend this August falls between August 15 and 19, with Independence Day on Thursday (August 15) and Rakshabandhan on Monday (August 19).
According to Ixigo’s data reviewed by Business Standard, the average fare for the Bengaluru-Kochi route was Rs 3,446 for the August 14-20 period in 2024, which is 46.3 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year. The average fare for the Bengaluru-Mumbai route was Rs 3,969 for the August 14-20 period in 2024, which is 37.6 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year.
Industry sources state that a significant number of planes in India continue to be grounded due to engine issues, supply chain problems, or financial difficulties. For example, IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, on Friday said about 70 out of its 382 planes in the fleet are currently grounded.
Therefore, the number of flights has not increased at a much faster rate, leading to a lack of capacity growth on various major routes. For example, the number of flights per week scheduled on the Bengaluru-Kochi route in August this year is almost the same as last year. Similarly, the number of weekly flights scheduled on the Bengaluru-Mumbai route has actually reduced by 4.8 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to 472 in August, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
“Long weekends tend to attract higher airfares as people travel to short gateways or visit family. This year, the Independence Day holiday, when clubbed with Rakshabandhan, is helping with a longer holiday. The capacity increase has been limited in Indian skies, and such long weekends lead to specific sectors seeing a sudden spurt, which is beyond the capacity added by airlines,” Ameya Joshi, an aviation researcher and founder of the aviation blog ‘Network Thoughts’, told Business Standard.
The flights between Delhi and Pune have remained at about 160 services per week and have not increased between August last year and this year, as per Cirium. Meanwhile, the average fare for the Delhi-Pune route was Rs 5,257 for the August 14-20 period in 2024, which is 22.6 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year.
Jyoti Mayal, president of the Travel Agents Association of India, told Business Standard that as the demand is growing, the Indian carriers are finding it hard to get an adequate supply of planes to accommodate the travellers’ rush.
“The industry is facing serious challenges in scaling up capacity to match the demand. The airfare for flights operating between Udaipur and major cities such as Delhi, Jaipur, and Mumbai has seen a notable increase, and on the occasion of Rakshabandhan, the flight fares have nearly doubled,” she noted.
Fares on major routes have increased for Rakshabandhan long weekend this year
Note: This data is for tickets purchased 30 days in advance.
Source: Ixigo
First Published: Jul 26 2024 | 6:37 PM IST