With the festive season upon us, everyone is looking forward to returning home for Diwali 2025. Trains are getting packed and there is a fight for tickets. Meanwhile, demand for flights is also increasing. According to exclusive information received by NDTV Profit from industry experts, the demand for air travel has increased by 60 to 70 percent. As a result, air travel is going to become even more expensive. If you are planning to travel by air this Diwali, be prepared to burn a hole in your pocket.
Notable Airfares
According to data from ixigo and EaseMyTrip, a 70% increase in demand for air travel has led to a significant increase in ticket rates, especially on metro routes. EaseMyTrip CEO Rikant Pitti told NDTV Profit that ticket prices on major domestic routes have increased by more than 50% compared to last year, indicating strong demand.
How much did the fare increase on which route?
“Fares from Hyderabad to Jaipur have increased from Rs 6,500 to Rs 12,000. Air ticket prices from Hyderabad to Delhi have increased from Rs 4,000-7,000 to Rs 7,000-12,000. In 2024, these routes see an average price reduction of 20-30%,” said Rikant Pitti. According to EMT, the average ticket price for Delhi-Mumbai is Rs 4,999, for Bengaluru-Kolkata is Rs 8,118 and for Chennai-Hyderabad is around Rs 2,980. “This Diwali, we are seeing a 60-65% increase in flight bookings. Flights to religious places like Ayodhya and Varanasi have seen over 100% increase,” ixigo CEO Alok Bajpai told NDTV Profit. Flight booking for Ayodhya has overtaken even big cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
Increase in fares due to dynamic pricing
Aviation expert Sanjay Lazar said, “Fares were bound to increase due to increased passenger demand and shortage of flights during the festive season. Dynamic pricing has further accelerated this increase, and this trend may continue till Christmas.”
Increase in fares despite government efforts
A few days ago, the Civil Aviation Ministry intervened to stop the increase in airfares and asked the airlines to take necessary steps in this direction. However, despite government intervention, rents have seen an average 50% annual increase this year. PITI said that the demand for travel is highest from metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. People are returning to their hometowns like Patna and Lucknow, where bookings have increased by 45% and 24% respectively. Fares in popular destinations like Lucknow, Goa, Jaipur, Chennai and Kolkata have also increased by 18-20% compared to last year.
Over 1,700 additional flights
In view of the festive season, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked airline companies to start additional flights. IndiGo is starting 730 additional flights on 42 routes. Air India and Air India Express have started operating 486 additional flights on 20 routes, while SpiceJet is operating 546 additional flights on 38 routes.
