Despite rising demand, domestic air fares dip almost 9 percent

New Delhi: Despite a surge in demand for domestic airline travel, those seeking to opt for the air route are in for a cheer as fares have dipped as much as nine per cent, reported The Times of India. According to a report, based on estimates from travel aggregators such as Yatra, Cleartrip and Ixigo, fares for air travel are down 4%-9%, even as the demand increased by 20 per cent, indicating that fares are lower as compared to the same time last year.  According to the figures obtained from Yatra.com, there is a five per cent drop in air fares compared to the corresponding period last year, with the only exception being the Delhi-Mumbai circle, which is witnessing a 12 per cent rise.
Likewise, Ixigo data showed that from April to June, the average domestic airfares have dropped by roughly nine per cent this year as compared to last year. It should be noted that international airfares have also dropped by approximately 19 per cent on an average this year.  Sharat Dhall, COO, B2C, Yatra.com, told TOI that rising competition is one of the key reasons for the dip in airfares, apart from stable air-fuel prices, thus lowering input costs for airlines. However, he said that the flights roving between Mumbai and Delhi continue to remain expensive as the runway has been shut down. According to Dhall, airfares have remained constant for the last two years.
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