HYDERABAD: Even as India prepares to resume regular international flights from March 27, after almost two years of suspension of services, an increased traffic particularly to US and Canada has triggered great demand for air tickets.
Till now, only ‘air bubble’ arrangement was in place by means of which air connectivity has been provided to about 40 countries. After the post-Covid relaxation on restrictions have created an opportunity for revenge travel, the aviation sector has started showing signs of bouncing back from a prolonged phase of indolence.
The undesirable spin-off effect is that the changed situation in the last two years, including fuel price hike and other factors, has led to a rise in airfare. A round trip to the US or Canada now costs around Rs 2 lakh due to the surge in demand and non-availability of seats.
For instance, if one wants to book an economy class return ticket (for a week) from Hyderabad to San Francisco (Economy) before the end of March, the starting prices for Emirates and Qatar Airways tickets are around Rs 2.34 lakh (1 stop, 22-hour journey) and for Singapore Airlines, it is around Rs 1.9 lakh (1 stop, 30-hour journey).
“The fare depends on the demand and which flight you have chosen. A couple of days back, we have offered a ticket at Rs 1.6 lakh and Rs 2 lakh to a client going to the US. These were two different flights,” said Khaja Waheeduddin of Aero Wings.
The travel agencies surmised that the Ukraine war impact would be negligible on flights as most of these flights take the Gulf route. “No flights are affected and they are being operated as before. These flights are going via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar,” said Fareed of Elite Travels.
While the airlines like Air India, which operate several flights to the US, including weekly flights from Hyderabad, clarified that the prices of tickets go up depending on the availability.“Those who plan in advance could avail decent deals. It is obvious that fares may go up during peak season,” said an Air India representative.
Meanwhile, it was reported that airlines based in the US, like United Airlines which operate some flights between US and India from New Delhi and Mumbai, are avoiding Russian airspace even though the travel duration gets longer.
Impact of Ukraine war negligible, say travel agents
The travel agencies surmised that the Ukraine war impact would be negligible on flights as most of these flights take the Gulf route. “No flights are affected and they are being operated as before. These flights are going via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar,” said Fareed of Elite Travels.