Festive travel squeeze: Domestic airfares jump up to 68% as flight options narrow

Domestic airfares on key routes have surged ahead of the festive and year-end travel season, with Delhi-Hyderabad fares up 68% year-on-year and Mumbai-Kolkata 51%. Airlines have cut domestic flight frequencies by 5% while keeping seat capacity broadly stable, but higher ATF prices and constrained departures are adding pressure on fares.