Spot airfares up three times in a month on India's busiest routes

However, fares for tickets purchased 30 days in advance have seen a small increase

The spot airfares on five of India's six busiest routes have jumped by up to three times in the past one month. However, for tickets purchased 30 days in advance on these routes, the fares have seen a marginal increase (not over 15 per cent).

On the Delhi-Mumbai route, which is India's busiest air route, the average spot airfare on June 1 stood at Rs 18,654, according to data provided by Ixigo. On May 1, two days before Go First's exit, the average spot airfare on this route stood at Rs 6,125.

Interestingly, the prices for tickets purchased 30 days in advance have not gone up much even after Go First's exit. In June, the average price for tickets purchased 30 days in advance on Delhi-Mumbai flights was Rs 5,475, which was 8.85 per cent more than in April.

“People who had booked seats in advance on Go First are now making spot bookings for other airlines as Go First is not operating. This has shot up the spot airfares, especially on routes where Go First had a sizable presence,” an airline executive explained.

According to the Ixigo data, the spot airfare on the Delhi-Pune route has jumped by about 214 per cent to Rs 17,220 on June 1 from Rs 5,469 on May 1. However, the average ticket price purchased 30 days in advance on the route has increased by just seven per cent between April and June.

The spot airfare on the Delhi-Kolkata route has jumped by nearly 73 per cent in the past one month. However, if a passenger is purchasing tickets 30 days in advance for the route, it is three per cent cheaper now as compared to April.

The demand-supply balance can be ascertained from the fact that while the number of average daily domestic flights reduced in May by 4.6 per cent month-on-month, the average daily domestic passenger traffic declined by just 0.85 per cent. 

The spot fares on domestic routes across the country have been affected not only by Go First’s flight suspension from May 3 but also by the onset of summer when leisure travel picks up pace. Moreover, Indian carriers do not have additional planes to immediately start new flights, aviation industry sources said on the condition of anonymity.