Airlines Hit As Deepavali Travel Fails To Take Off

Fares on key metro routes are down by 30% at a time when it usually peaks

- Jagriti Chandra

Deepavali is a time when most Indians spare no expense to be with their families. But not this year. The reluctance to spend on air travel this festival season has dampened celebrations and is making airlines nervous, who are forced to lower airfares to fill up their planes.

Data from the travel portal Yatra.com shows that fares on key metro routes are down by 30%, while this is usually a time airlines hike airfares due to a huge demand and are able to make up for losses piled up during the lean months of July, August and September. On Monday, full-service carrier Vistara even launched its ‘grand international sale’ for destinations like Bangkok, Dubai, and Singapore for return fares starting at ₹14,999.

‘Industry-wide trend’