Domestic airfares soar during festive season in India

Return fares on domestic routes have surged during the Diwali weekend, Business Today reports. A Delhi-Bengaluru ticket costs around Rs 16,000, Delhi-Kolkata Rs 17,000 and Delhi-Ahmedabad Rs 17,000 on Air India. The rise is attributed to a 5.6% year-on-year drop in domestic capacity in September to 15 million seats, driven by higher fuel costs and aircraft availability constraints. IndiGo and Air India together control over 90% of the domestic market, limiting options for flyers.

Separately, the Times of India reports that a one-way ticket into Kolkata for October 16 costs 71% more than flying the following week. The median fare across seven routes is Rs 14,117, compared to Rs 8,259 for a week later. Chennai to Kolkata saw the steepest rise at 94.9%, followed by Mumbai at 78.1% and Bengaluru at 76.5%. The analysis shows the premium applies only to incoming Kolkata flights, not outgoing ones, and is tied to Durga Puja arrivals.