Diwali airfare zooms to Rs 20,000-30,000 range on some routes: Report

In the less than Rs 20,000 range, the most expensive routes are Mumbai-Lucknow at Rs 19,292, Pune-Lucknow at rs 19,226 and Delhi-Guwahati Rs 18,573.

Flying turns a costly affair this Diwali, even if you book your tickets three months before the October 30-November 5 week, as one-way airfare zoom past Rs 20,000 on some routes, Business Standard reported.

As per the report, Mumbai-Patna one way ticket during Diwali is costing Rs 20,074, Bengaluru-Varanasi Rs 23,662 and Bengaluru-Patna a shade below Rs 30,000.

In the below-Rs 20,000 range, the most expensive routes are Mumbai-Lucknow at Rs 19,292, Pune-Lucknow at Rs 19,226 and Delhi-Guwahati at Rs 18,573.

These fares are for the economy class tickets purchased 90 days in advance pricing strategy, the report added.

Moneycontrol couldn't independently verify the report.

The surge in airfare on major routes for the Diwali week averaged up to 25 percent year-on-year because of the strong demand, limited capacity growth, and new ticket pricing strategy, the report mentioned.

The average one-way fare on the Mumbai-Hyderabad route during this year's Diwali week is Rs 5,162, which is 20.9 percent higher than what had cost last year (November 10-16, 2023), the report stated citing data from travel website Ixigo.

Last Diwali, around 266 flights operated weekly on the Mumbai-Hyderabad route. This time, airlines have scheduled 3 percent fewer services on this route, as per the report.

"The Delhi-Ahmedabad route alone witnessed a substantial 72 percent surge in airfare for the November 10-16 period compared to the preceding year. Notably, the Delhi-Srinagar route is experiencing an even more staggering 89 percent increase," Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip, had said last year.