Flight tickets usually get more expensive during the festive season, especially around Diwali. However, this year, there is good news for travellers. As Diwali and Chhath Puja get closer, the average price of domestic flights has dropped by 20-25% compared to last year.
According to a report from the travel platform Ixigo, the decrease in ticket prices is due to more flights being available and a recent drop in oil prices. These numbers are based on one-way fares booked 30 days in advance. The report compared data from November 10-16, 2023, to data from October 28-November 3, 2024.
Drop in Flight Ticket Prices
This year, the price of a Bengaluru-Kolkata flight has fallen by 38%, from Rs 10,195 last year to Rs 6,319. The cost of a Chennai-Kolkata ticket has dropped by 36%, from Rs 8,725 to Rs 5,604. Similarly, the average fare for a Mumbai-Delhi flight has decreased by 34%, from Rs 8,788 to Rs 5,762.
The price of tickets for the Delhi-Udaipur route has also reduced by 34%, from Rs 11,296 to Rs 7,469. There has also been a 32% drop in fares on the Delhi-Kolkata, Hyderabad-Delhi, and Delhi-Srinagar routes.
Why Flight Prices Have Dropped
Alok Bajpai, the CEO of Ixigo Group, told news agency PTI that last year, flight prices went up around Diwali due to fewer flights, mainly because Go First Airlines had stopped flying. He added that more flights have been added this year to meet the increased demand, leading to a 20-25% drop in average ticket prices on popular routes for the last week of October.