“Don’t travel by air.” That was a Supreme Court judge’s response on Monday, when a petitioner asked for an urgent cap on airfares before Diwali, Bhai Dooj and Chhath. Airlines blame jet fuel, and they have a point. Jet fuel in Delhi costs about 46% more than it did a year ago, and fuel now makes up nearly 40% of IndiGo’s costs.
But fuel alone can’t explain a ticket that costs four times the usual price.
Here’s the stranger part: fewer Indians are flying. Domestic passenger numbers have fallen for four months in a row. Instead of cutting fares to win flyers back, airlines have cut flights, and by more than passengers have fallen.
In today’s episode, host Snigdha Sharma breaks down the airline maths behind fewer flights and costlier tickets and what could help.
Tune in.
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