Flight tickets are likely to get cheaper by up to 40% on an expected increase in the number of flights after the government announced the resumption of regular international air travel from March 27, Economic Times has reported.
This comes after a two-year-long suspension that was put in place following the first Covid-19 wave.
Lufthansa and group carrier Swiss plan to almost double flights in the next few months, while Singapore Airlines may increase flights by 17%, ET quoted executives of these airlines.
Domestic carrier IndiGo hopes to resume nearly 100 global flights in the coming months.
Currently, airlines can operate a limited number of overseas flights under bubble arrangements with certain countries, as India has clamped a ban on regular international flights.
Limited capacity pushed airfares as much as 100% higher on some routes as compared to pre-pandemic levels.
“Suspension of regular international flights had created a demand-supply imbalance, making international travel expensive for certain routes under the bubble agreements,” it quoted Aloke Bajpai, group chief executive of travel portal Ixigo.
“With capacity coming back and with an increase in connectivity and more routes, we can expect international fares returning to pre-Covid levels,” he said.
Rajesh Magow, group chief executive, Makemytrip, said “had bubble flights continued prices would have soared further than their current high levels,”
“However, with the decision to allow regular international flights and a resultant increase in capacity, prices will stabilise.”
Magow, however, cautioned, “Prices will increase again if fuel prices continue their upward trajectory and there is no resolution to the crisis in the West.”
