NEW DELHI : The skies may have darkened for airlines amid an Indian visa ban for foreigners and screening measures aimed at halting the spread of the new coronavirus.
For those brave enough to fly, however, there is no better time to strike a bargain.
A New Delhi-London return economy ticket for travel in May is going for as little as ₹34,000, while a New Delhi-New York return ticket for the same month is up for grabs for ₹55,000.
Similarly, a return flight to Paris from the Indian capital can be picked for ₹38,000.
Normally, fares to the three cities during the month are in the range of ₹50,000-60,000. respectively.
International air fares have dropped by 30-35% month-on-month from India across all routes, according to Ixigo, an online travel portal company.
“The drop in airfares is mainly due to travel advisories being issued by various countries but can also be due to the recent international travel sales rolled out by various airlines," said Aloke Bajpai, CEO and co-founder, Ixigo.
Near-empty flights and government advisories against non-essential travel have forced several international airlines to slash fares to lure passengers.
One-way fares between Delhi and Singapore fell as much as 45% month-on-month in March to ₹8,727, while those to Dubai are down 41% at ₹7,783. The drop is even sharper on a year-on-year basis at 66% and 53%, respectively.
“Summer is the peak travel period in India, where travellers with their friends and families look forward to exploring different destinations to experience culture, cuisines and hustle of city life," said Sabina Chopra, co-founder and chief operating officer, Yatra.com.
“However, due to the prevailing situation of coronavirus in different locations across the globe, there are many destinations which are expected to face a drop in foreign tourist arrivals because of the advisories issued by various governments," she said.
Industry analyst Mark Martin, chief executive of Martin Consulting LLC, said that a collapse in crude oil prices—with Brent futures hovering around $36/barrel—may help airlines to sustain low fares, though the lack of demand remains a big concern.
Airlines are in a Catch-22 situation as the fall in oil prices is likely to bring down costs by at least 15%, “but, what use is this when people are scared of flying," Martin said.
