Travelling during the upcoming Diwali holiday period is set to be an expensive affair, with domestic airfares soaring to significant highs. Compared to non-festive days, airfares from Ahmedabad to various destinations, when booked for travel between October 31 and November 5, have surged by as much as 164%.
A return flight to Chennai, for instance, now costs Rs 31,706, a steep rise from the usual fare of Rs 12,000 per person. Similarly, fares to other popular destinations such as Bagdogra (up by 139.8%), Jaipur (125.5%), Jodhpur (94.3%), Jammu (87.8%) and Kochi (79.7%) have also surged. These airports are key travel hubs, connecting Ahmedabad to various holiday spots with direct flights.
“The demand for air travel ahead of Diwali is exceptionally high this year,” said Virendra Shah, Chairperson of the Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI) Gujarat. He also noted that visa issues for international destinations have driven a surge in domestic travel, with bookings up by about 25% compared to last year’s Diwali season.
Destinations in the Northeast, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have become particularly popular among travellers from Ahmedabad and Gujarat, according to Shah.
Despite the increase, airfares remain lower compared to last year’s Diwali peak prices. A fortnight before Diwali 2023, fares to Kochi had reached as high as Rs 57,400 for a return ticket, while prices to Bagdogra (Rs 45,389), Jaipur (Rs 24,962), Dehradun (Rs 33,763), Chandigarh (Rs 36,998) and Kolkata (Rs 41,730) were also 30-60% higher than this year.
Industry experts attribute the moderation in prices to increased flight capacity and a recent decline in oil prices. Analysis by an online travel portal suggests that average domestic airfares have fallen by 20-25% across the country compared to previous spikes.
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