Pune airfares have risen sharply ahead of the festive season after airlines revised fuel surcharges in response to higher aviation turbine fuel prices, prompting passengers to postpone or cancel travel plans and raising concerns about the affordability of urgent journeys.
The Air India group increased fuel surcharges on domestic routes longer than 1,000 kilometres on Tuesday, while most international routes saw a steeper increase. IndiGo also revised its distance-based fuel charges for domestic and international flights from October 6. The changes have affected fares on routes frequently used by passengers travelling from Pune.
K Shambhavi, a frequent flyer and college student, said a one-way ticket from Pune to Bengaluru, which usually costs about Rs 5,000, was being priced between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 in October. “The increase is particularly pinching the pockets of college students like me,” she said.
Travel operators said the increase was also being felt on domestic and international routes. Santosh Gupta, founder of Shree Vinayak Holidays, said a one-way Pune-Delhi ticket had been costing between Rs 9,000 and Rs 10,000. A one-way journey from Pune to Thailand was priced at around Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000, compared with Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000 earlier, he said.
Gupta said higher fares could affect passengers who have to travel at short notice, including those facing medical or other emergencies. When train reservations are unavailable and air travel becomes necessary, he said, the cost of a ticket could sometimes be equivalent to an entire month’s salary. He called for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to examine the issue and for measures to ensure affordable fares.
Travel businesses are also reporting postponements and cancellations. Pratiksha Mirji, founder of Happy Women’s Family Trip company, said the increase was affecting tourism activity. A round-trip air ticket to Bagdogra for a Bhutan group trip had cost about Rs 15,000 when booked in advance for the same period last year, but was now costing more than Rs 22,000, she said.
Passengers travelling through Pune also have fewer options on at least one international route. A SpiceJet spokesperson said the airline’s Pune-Dubai service was temporarily unavailable for operational reasons and would resume from mid-October.
Aviation expert Dhairyashil Vandekar said fuel accounts for nearly 40 per cent of airline operating costs, meaning a sharp increase in ATF prices could put pressure on airline margins. He said IndiGo had described current fuel prices as among the highest seen in the past decade, with geopolitical tensions in West Asia contributing to volatility.
The timing of the surcharge revisions coincides with the period when demand for air travel usually rises because of Dussehra and Diwali. Vandekar said the effect of higher fuel costs could vary between routes depending on distance, aircraft efficiency, passenger load factors and airlines’ ability to pass additional costs on to travellers.
The situation has also drawn attention to the Centre’s ATF price stabilisation mechanism, which was approved to cushion airlines against exceptional fuel-price volatility arising from the West Asia crisis. Vandekar said the effectiveness and duration of the measures, along with movements in global fuel prices, would influence the extent of cost pressures on airlines and passenger fares.
