Airfares rise as competition fades on domestic routes, shows data

Competition present on only 31% of domestic routes in April 2024, data show

The number of domestic routes in India with no competition surged from 55.2 per cent in April 2019 to 69.2 per cent in April 2024. This means by April this year, only 30.8 per cent of the 1,083 domestic routes had more than one airline operating, according to a report by aviation analytics firm Cirium reviewed by Business Standard.

With reduced competition, airlines have become more aggressive in raising airfares, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. For instance, on the Delhi-Mumbai route, average fares dropped by 20.5 per cent between April 2019 and April 2023 but soared by 34.6