Price Rise in Air Travel: Due to the Iran war, the cost of crude oil and ATF has increased the airfares across the country by 30-35 percent, which has directly affected the pockets of passengers of Delhi, Jaipur, and other cities.
Airfares jump up to 35 percent.
Iran War Price Rise in Air Travel: The ongoing war-like situation between Iran and the US-Israel is now directly impacting the pockets of ordinary Indian travellers. Disruptions in crude oil supplies have increased the price of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), and airlines have imposed fuel surcharges; the results are evident. Flight tickets on nearly every major route in the country have become 30-35 percent more expensive in recent days.
Recently, ATF charges for domestic airlines increased by 8.5 percent. ATF accounts for 35 to 45 percent of an airline's total operating costs, so as fuel prices increase, ticket prices rise directly. Now, consider the impact this is having on the public.
How much was the flight from Delhi earlier? How much is it now?
Looking at airfare bookings for April 16th, the cheapest non-stop ticket from Delhi to Goa currently starts at ₹8,384. The same route is available on IndiGo for between ₹9,038 and ₹11,098. A few weeks ago, the same ticket was available for between ₹4,500 and ₹6,000, and if booking for the next day to Delhi, the rate can reach up to ₹15,000. The situation from Delhi to Bengaluru is even worse. The fare on April 16th reached ₹12,596, with the next day's fare ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹17,000.
How much will the fare be from Jaipur?
The Jaipur to Bengaluru route has seen a 30 percent increase, with the lowest fare ranging from ₹11,568 to a maximum of ₹24,129. Jaipur to Ahmedabad is between ₹7,036 and ₹12,443, a 15 percent increase compared to last year. Jaipur to Mumbai is about 10 percent more expensive, from ₹6,305 to ₹13,481. Jaipur to Goa is ₹13,128, and demand is so high that it's difficult to specify an upper limit.
Passengers from Ranchi and Nagpur are also troubled
The fare from Ranchi to Delhi, which used to be ₹8,000-₹10,000 on normal days, has now reached ₹12,000-₹15,000. Tickets to Mumbai have risen to ₹14,000-₹16,000. Kolkata is priced between ₹8,000-₹10,000 and Hyderabad between ₹10,000-₹13,000. The fare from Nagpur to Delhi has jumped from ₹10,228 to ₹13,495 in just one day, compared to ₹5,500-₹6,000 a few weeks ago.
The fare from Chandigarh to Bengaluru, which was ₹12,000 until March 31, has now reached ₹16,000. A ticket from Chennai to Hyderabad, which normally costs ₹6,000, sold for ₹19,000 this weekend. Tickets to Kochi tripled from ₹4,000 to ₹18,000.
IndiGo imposed a fuel surcharge on all domestic and international tickets from March 14, ranging from ₹425 to ₹2,300 per seat, depending on the route. Air India and Air India Express implemented a fuel surcharge of ₹399 on domestic tickets from March 12. Akasa Air also added its own surcharge from March 15.
Fuel surcharge is also charged extra.
IndiGo implemented a new surcharge structure effective April 2. Domestic routes will be charged ₹275 to ₹950, depending on the distance. Air India and Akasa Air have also implemented similar surcharges: ₹275 on short routes like Delhi to Lucknow, ₹600 on Mumbai-Kolkata, ₹800 on Bengaluru-Hyderabad, and ₹950 on Chennai.
There's no relief for international flights. Fuel surcharges range from ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 for Gulf and Middle East routes, and up to ₹10,000 for Europe and the UK. Airfares aren't expected to fall until the Iran crisis eases and crude oil supplies normalize. The government has provided partial relief to domestic airlines, ensuring the full ATF burden won't be passed on to passengers. However, there's no such relief for international routes. For now, book your tickets sooner, the better.