India summer travel shock: Flight tickets to Europe, Leh, Singapore see massive surge

Mumbai: A flight to Sydney or Singapore, or even Leh or Srinagar is set to significantly pinch Indian travellers, with airfares spiralling 40-50% on several domestic and international routes, forcing fliers to recalibrate their plans during the peak summer holiday months of May and June.

Elevated jet fuel prices and airspace disruptions due to the Iran war, and a sharp drop in airline seat capacity have contributed to escalating airfares to unprecedented levels.

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Travellers are cutting back on long-haul splurges and pivoting instead towards shorter international destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, as well as hill stations within the country.

Delhi–Leh fares have jumped 74% year-on-year, while Srinagar and Shimla are up between 60% and 68% as travellers rush towards cooler hill destinations to escape intense summer heat in the plains. Internationally, London and Paris fares have climbed 53%, Sydney is up 38%, while Thailand and Singapore have become more than 40% costlier this summer compared with last year.

Among non-Gulf carriers, IndiGo is the most impacted. The country’s largest carrier has cut international capacity by 17% in May compared with its February baseline, according to global aviation data and analytics company OAG.

Domestic Demand Remains Robust

Air India, meanwhile, is expected to cut around 100 flights daily across domestic and international routes, with the sharpest reductions likely on services to Europe, North America, Australia and Singapore.

The backdrop is a relentless rise in fuel prices. Global average jet fuel prices stood at $179.46 a barrel for the week ended April 24, up nearly 80% from $99.40 at the end of February. India has also increased jet fuel prices on international routes by another 5%, further squeezing margins at airlines already burning more fuel due to rerouted flights and longer flying times.

For travellers, the impact is becoming increasingly visible in ticket prices.

Also Read: Heatwave drives early rush to hill stations, bookings surge

For the Indian middle class, the dream of a European summer is increasingly colliding with the cold math of aviation economics.

“Long-haul routes from India, particularly to Europe and the US, have witnessed fare increases in the range of 20–30%, driven by operational adjustments and longer flying durations on certain sectors,” said Bharatt Malik, senior vice-president, air and hotel business, at Yatra Online.

“In comparison, short-haul destinations across Southeast Asia have seen relatively moderate fare increases of 5–12%, making them a preferred choice for value-conscious travellers,” he said.

The notable pricing gap is now redrawing outbound travel patterns. Travel companies said Indian tourists are increasingly abandoning expensive long-haul itineraries for shorter-haul, visa-friendly destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia, where travel costs remain relatively manageable despite the broader surge in fares.

“International airfares have risen significantly in recent weeks, driven by higher jet fuel prices, airspace closures and longer flying routes,” said Aloke Bajpai, co-founder and group chief executive at ixigo. “As a result, travellers are increasingly leaning towards comparatively more affordable international destinations this year.”

Cleartrip said bookings to the Philippines have tripled, while destinations such as Almaty in Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Malaysia are witnessing strong traction due to visa-free access, lower costs, and increased connectivity.

Domestic tourism is seeing a parallel surge, driven both by summer school holidays and heatwave conditions in several parts of the country.

Also Read: Surge in airfares may hit summer travel demand, industry warns

Travel firms are reporting strong growth in bookings to Rishikesh, Varanasi, and Leh, alongside northeastern cities such as Shillong, Guwahati, Imphal and Dimapur. Data from AbhiBus showed bookings to hill stations and cooler routes rose 38% year-on-year, led by sectors such as Bengaluru–Coorg, Bengaluru–Kodaikanal and Delhi–Nainital. Coorg alone recorded a 115% surge in forward bookings for May.

Even as fares rise sharply, demand remains robust. Yatra said advance summer bookings are running 20–25% higher than normal seasonal trends, underscoring how travel continues to remain a priority discretionary spend for Indian consumers.

For airlines, however, the turbulence is far from over. Earlier this week, the Federation of Indian Airlines, representing IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet, warned that further increases in fuel prices could force additional flight cuts unless the government intervenes.

For Indian travellers this summer, the choice is clear—pay significantly more for long-haul travel or stay closer home, where rising demand is also pushing up prices anyway.