Airfares this month have hit some of the highest levels of 2025, as festive-season demand drives up ticket prices across the country. With Diwali around the corner, more people are choosing to fly to save time, but this time-saving convenience is coming at a steep cost.
Industry sources told mid-day that air travel this year has shown sharp seasonality, with fares fluctuating in line with demand. “Ticket prices have risen by about 20–25 per cent over early-year averages,” said one industry representative. Rikant Pittie, co-founder of an online travel service, said, “Due to the ongoing festive season, we’ve seen an average hike of 30–35 per cent across our platform.”
According to him, some of the costliest routes are from Hyderabad to major cities. “For instance, flights from Hyderabad to Nagpur or Kolkata now cost between Rs 11,500 and Rs 16,500, up from Rs 4500–Rs 6500 earlier this year. This clear hike is entirely festive-driven.” Talking specifically about Mumbai, Pittie added, “Flights between Mumbai and Patna are now averaging around Rs 14,000, compared to Rs 9000 before the festive season.”
Travellers hit hard
Aashna Sureka, a traveller from Ahmedabad to Dibrugarh (Assam), said connectivity and prices made travel extremely difficult. “For a city like Dibrugarh, which has very few direct flights, prices skyrocket during festivals. This time, I couldn’t even choose my travel dates because one-way tickets were around Rs 23,000. I finally booked a round trip for Rs 27,500,” she said.
Sureka said she began tracking fares two months in advance. “My sister from Bengaluru got a round trip for Rs 15,000, much cheaper than what I paid. I’ve had to cancel trips in the past because of high airfares, and trains take far too long to reach my hometown,” she added.
Strong festive sentiment
Despite soaring prices, booking platforms say travel sentiment remains strong. Pittie said, “Even with higher fares, most travellers haven’t changed their plans. Bookings began as early as September to avoid last-minute spikes.” Another travel service noted that while some passengers postponed their trips, many locked in tickets 2–3 months in advance to avoid the surge. “The current fare levels will likely continue through the Diwali period and start to stabilise by early November,” Pittie said. “But prices are expected to rise again during the year-end holiday season.”
Airlines add flights
To handle the growing demand, Air India (AI) and Air India Express (AIE) announced that they will operate 166 additional flights to and from Patna for Diwali and Chhath Puja. Between October 15 and November 2, AI will add 36 extra flights each from Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru to Patna. AIE will operate 26 additional flights each from Delhi and Bengaluru between October 22 and November 3.
