New Delhi: Traveling home by air during Diwali will be cheaper than last year. The main reason for this is that the average air fare on many domestic routes has come down by 20-25 percent compared to last year. In fact, increased capacity and the recent fall in oil prices are considered to be one of the factors for the fall in air ticket prices.

Analysis by travel portal ixigo showed that average airfares on domestic routes have fallen by 20-25 per cent. These prices are average one-way fares based on an advance purchase date of 30 days. In 2023, this period was between November 10-16, while this year it is October 28-November 3. This is the time around Diwali.

Bengaluru-Kolkata flight gets cheaper

The highest drop in average airfare this year was recorded for the Bengaluru-Kolkata flight, which dropped to Rs 6,319 from Rs 10,195 last year. The ticket price on the Chennai-Kolkata route fell by 36 per cent to Rs 5,604 from Rs 8,725. The average airfare for the Mumbai-Delhi flight fell by 34 per cent to Rs 5,762 from Rs 8,788.

Similarly, ticket prices on the Delhi-Udaipur route have come down by 34 per cent from Rs 11,296 to Rs 7,469. The drop on Delhi-Kolkata, Hyderabad-Delhi and Delhi-Srinagar routes is 32 per cent. Last year, airfares had surged around Diwali due to limited capacity, mainly due to the suspension of Go First airline.

benefit of reduction in oil prices

Another major reason for the reduction in fares is the reduction in oil prices. This year, oil prices have fallen by 15 percent, giving passengers more affordable options during the festive season. However, currently, due to rising geopolitical tensions, oil prices are slightly on the rise. This has led to an increase of up to 34 percent in airfares on some routes.

The ticket price on the Ahmedabad-Delhi route has increased by 34 per cent from Rs 6,533 to Rs 8,758, while on the Mumbai-Dehradun route it has risen by 33 per cent from Rs 11,710 to Rs 15,527.