Air fares touch skies as Kingfisher Airlines cancels flights

MUMBAI: Kingfisher continued to cancel more flights on Monday sending airfares skyward as harried passengers scrambled to complete their journeys and other airlines increased prices to take advantage of the unprecedented disruption over Indian skies.

Fares on main routes have risen by at least 15%-20% as the airline has sucked out inventory from the market for the second time in three months. Kingfisher is now offering only 160 flights per day, according to a company source, as against 260 flights a day and is operating a truncated fleet of 25 out of these nine are smaller ATRs.

A Mumbai-Chennai ticket which used to cost Rs 4,500 a week ago, is now quoting at Rs 5,600. A Delhi-Bangalore ticket now costs Rs 6,500 versus Rs 5,000. But travellers on the country’s busiest route, Delhi-Mumbai have been spared a steep increase thanks to rival IndiGo increasing frequency after lapping up Kingfisher’s vacant slots. Tickets here cost Rs 4,900 versus Rs 4,200 a week ago. Jet Airways and IndiGo have also stopped selling the lowest fare bucket prompting prices to shoot skyward.

“Unfortunately, high fares will continue unless things with Kingfisher become completely normal, which will take more time,” Ankur Bhatia, executive director Bird Group.