Coronavirus pandemic | Mumbai-Delhi last-minute return air tickets plummet to Rs 5,000

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The coronavirus pandemic, or COVID-19, has the travel and tourism industry in its crosshairs. With the number of persons testing positive for the pathogen rising to 62 in India, the number of flight ticket cancellations have seen a sharp rise too. As a result, the airfares have nosedived across the country, even on otherwise busy routes.

For instance, last minute fares on flights scheduled to depart in 24 hours on the Mumbai-Delhi route -- which always sees high traffic -- has fallen to Rs 5,000 now, The Times of India reported.

Similarly, last minute fares on the Mumbai-Kochi and Delhi-Bengaluru route have also plummeted to Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,700, respectively, for a round trip.

The steep drop in last minute airfares can be attributed to travel advisories against non-essential travel to contain the spread of COVID-19 that is continuing to claim lives across the world.

Even travel agents told the paper that more and more people are cancelling tickets due to the coronavirus pandemic. People are avoiding travel and crowded places out of the fear of coming across people who may already be infected by the virus.

This trend has been observed not just in India, but across the world. As per a Vox.com report, round trips from New York to Los Angeles now cost $142 as against an average $300 one-way. Similarly, a flight from Miami to Chicago usually costs $193, but now Frontier Airlines is offering them at $67 for a round-trip. Moreover, airlines based in the United States are also letting people change or cancel their tickets without levying cancellation charges.