Festive Air Travel Turns Costly: Diwali–Chhath Flight Fares Surge up to 94%

 With the onset of the festive season, domestic flight fares across India have skyrocketed. Ahead of Diwali and Chhath, ticket prices on several key routes have jumped between 50% and 94%, making festive travel significantly costlier for passengers.

The sudden spike is being attributed to high passenger demand combined with limited flight supply. Airline booking portals indicate that fares for travel dates around October 19 have surged sharply.

🔻 Routes with Sharpest Hikes

• Mumbai–Delhi: ₹5,762 ➝ ₹9,500 (65% hike)

• Delhi–Kolkata: ₹5,200 ➝ ₹9,350 (80% hike)

• Bengaluru–Kolkata: ₹6,320 ➝ ₹9,495 (50% hike)

• Hyderabad–Delhi: ₹6,350 ➝ ₹7,645 (20% hike)

• Chennai–Kolkata: ₹5,600 ➝ ₹7,800 (40% hike)

• Mumbai–Jaipur: ₹6,458 ➝ ₹10,500 (63% hike)

• Mumbai–Dehradun: ₹7,200 ➝ ₹14,000 (94% hike)

This shows that not just metro-to-metro routes, but even flights to tier-2 cities have witnessed steep price increases.

🎆 Why are fares so high?

Travel experts highlight that the demand-supply mismatch is the biggest reason behind the soaring fares. While passenger traffic has surged due to festive travel plans, airlines have not yet announced additional flights for the festive window.

Analysts suggest that if carriers introduce extra flights during Diwali, some relief may come. But as of now, passengers should prepare for higher travel budgets this festive season.