Airlines cut flights 5% as major route fares jump 51%-68%
India
If you're planning to fly this festive season, brace yourself: airfares on major routes like Delhi-Hyderabad and Mumbai-Kolkata are up by 68% and 51% compared to last year.
Airlines have trimmed the number of flights by 5% for October-December but are using bigger planes, so the total number of seats hasn't really dropped.
Jet fuel up ₹16 to ₹137
A big reason for these higher fares is the jump in jet fuel prices, which shot up by ₹16 from October 1 and now cost ₹137 per liter.
December 7 is set to be the busiest day, with 589,386 seats on sale, compared with last year's busiest day.
Plus, while some domestic routes have fewer flights (and pricier tickets), international travel is expanding fast, especially to Saudi Arabia and China.