If you're planning to catch a flight this Diwali, then be ready to shell out more money from your pocket. As per data provided by ixigo & EaseMyTrip (EMT), air travel demand has surged by 60-70%, which has resulted in higher airfare especially on metro routes. Airfares in the run-up to Diwali 2025 have risen sharply as compared to last year.
Rikant Pittie, CEO and Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip exclusively told NDTV Profit that, on major domestic routes, ticket prices are up by more than 50% year-on-year, reflecting strong travel demand.
He said, "Key routes from Hyderabad experienced particularly steep spikes, with fares to Jaipur increasing from Rs 6,500 to Rs 12,000 and to Delhi rising from Rs 4,000–7,000 to around Rs 7,000–12,000. This contrasts with the Diwali season in 2024, when average airfares on many domestic routes had declined by 20–30%."
As per EMT’s latest airfare trends, ticket prices across key domestic routes have shown steady movement in the run-up to the festive season. On EMT platform, the average seven-day forward fare stands at Rs 4,999 for Delhi to Mumbai, Rs 8,118 for Bengaluru to Kolkata, and Rs 2,980 for Chennai to Hyderabad.
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo exclusively told NDTV Profit that this diwali there is a strong surge in travel. He said, "We are seeing a strong surge in flight bookings, with an average 60–65% YoY increase, reflecting a mix of travel demand that blends tradition, spirituality, leisure, and experience-led getaways."
As per ixigo data, spiritual destinations like Ayodhya and Varanasi have seen more than 100% jump air travel demand. "Varanasi and Ayodhya are leading the trend, with Ayodhya, recording more than 100% Y-o-Y growth in flight bookings - even outpacing major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai," added Bajpai.
Aviation expert and CEO of Avialaz Consultants, Sanjay Lazar told NDTV Profit that, the seasonal spike in airfares was expected with the excessive passenger demand and the shortage of flights and aircraft.
"With such a high demand matrix, in the festival season, the dynamic pricing has exploded. This high seasonal demand is likely to continue through to Christmas season," said Lazar.
He added, "The government has failed to act to bring down prices, despite talking about it, this year has seen peak prices with a 50% rise Y-o-Y."
Pittie told NDTV Profit that metro residents are driving surge in air travel demand. He said, "Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai recording the highest booking volumes as people head to reunite with family and friends. Hometowns such as Patna and Lucknow are seeing strong inflows, with bookings up 45% and 24% respectively."
Pittie also said that alongside increased bookings, airfares from key metros to popular destinations like Lucknow, Goa, Jaipur, Chennai, and Kolkata have risen around 18–20% compared to last year, highlighting strong demand across major festive routes.
Earlier this week, civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reviewed airfare trends ahead of festive season rush. DGCA has asked airlines to augment flight capacities by deploying additional flights.
IndiGo will deploy approximately 730 additional flights across 42 sectors. Air India & Air India Express will deploy approximately 486 additional flights across 20 sectors. SpiceJet will deploy of approximately 546 additional flights across 38 sectors.
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