Airfares jump ahead of Diwali, Delhi-Mumbai route records total sellout

Airfares have jumped two to three times as compared to the normal times on non-leisure destinations

Airfares across destinations in India have shot up ahead of Diwali. The Mumbai-Delhi route, the busiest route in India, reported a total sellout of non-stop flights. The airfares have jumped two to three times as compared to normal times on non-leisure destinations, as reported by Financial Express (FE). 

The travel fares to holiday destinations, on the other hand, have jumped four to five times, the report added. As compared to Diwali last year, airfares are up at least two times. 

"The long Diwali weekend is the most appealing time to travel. Back-to-back lockdowns in earlier years have increased the urge to travel this year, reflected in the booking rate which is up by 60-70 per cent over last year," Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder, EaseMyTrip, told FE.

October 20 is the most popular travel date on the Delhi-Mumbai route. IndiGo, according to FE, recorded a total sellout on Thursday. On the same route, tickets from Vistara and Air India were also reportedly sold out. 

The price hike is primarily due to an increase in demand. Air travel has seen a jump of 50-60 per cent to domestic destinations as compared to the pre-cap removal era. The government has announced the removal of the price cap on flight tickets from August 31. 

The passenger load has also increased significantly. From 63 per cent in January, it has gone up to 82 per cent in India's top three airlines, IndiGo, Vistara, and Air India. 

"There is a steep spike of 40% when compared to last year’s Diwali period prices. Overall, the segment size has gone up by 5% on average this year,” a spokesperson from Cleartrip told FE.