Flight tickets are known to get costlier around the festive season, especially on and before Diwali, but this year, there is some good news for travelers. As Diwali and Chhath Puja approach, the average airfare on many domestic routes has come down by 20-25% compared to last year.

According to a report released by travel platform Ixigo, the drop in fares can be attributed to increased capacity and a recent decline in oil prices. These figures reflect the average one-way fare based on bookings made 30 days in advance. The report compared data from November 10-16, 2023, with data from October 28-November 3, 2024.

Drop in Flight Ticket Fares

This year, the average airfare for a Bengaluru-Kolkata flight has fallen by 38%, from Rs 10,195 last year to Rs 6,319. The ticket price on the Chennai-Kolkata route has fallen by 36% from Rs 8,725 to Rs 5,604. Similarly, the average airfare for a Mumbai-Delhi flight has dropped by 34% from Rs 8,788 to Rs 5,762.

The price for tickets on the Delhi-Udaipur route has also decreased by 34% from Rs 11,296 to Rs 7,469. Additionally, there has been a 32% reduction in fares on the Delhi-Kolkata, Hyderabad-Delhi and Delhi-Srinagar routes.

Reason Behind the Drop in Air Fares

Ixigo Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alok Bajpai told news agency PTI that, last year, airfares surged around Diwali due to limited capacity, primarily caused by the suspension of Go First Airlines.

He noted that additional capacity has been added this year to manage the increased demand, resulting in a 20-25% year-on-year decline in average airfares on major routes in the last week of October.