E-Paper
Delhi airport sees increase in passengers but rising fuel costs may impact fares
The aviation industry across the globe as well as India were adversely affected due to the pandemic.
Rise in global oil prices have led to a hike in prices of Air Turbine Fuel (ATF), also known as jet fuel in Delhi on Thursday. Prices of jet fuel soared to ₹68,262 per kilolitre in Delhi marking a rise of 30% compared to ₹50,979 in January 2021.
The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) which is the largest supplier of ATF in the country reported a hike in prices by 3.6% in the Capital, according to a report by ANI.
“Prices of ATF have been hiked in Delhi by 3.6% and stood at ₹68,262.35 per kilolitre. In Kolkata it increased by 3.27% and is currently priced at ₹72,295.24 per kilolitre. It went up by 3.77% and stood at ₹66,482.90 in Mumbai and in Chennai it is at ₹66,482.90 per kilolitre,” the IOCL said. The IOCL also said that jet fuel increased about 30% within six months.
The ATF prices are crucial to the aviation industry of the country and ticket prices also depend on the ATF and other charges which are unavoidable. An aviation expert told news agency ANI that air ticket prices may rise if the ATF prices are hiked.
The aviation industry across the globe as well as India were adversely affected due to the pandemic. India has suspended international flights till July 31. However, the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on Thursday shared data which showed that the number of domestic passengers at the Delhi airport increased by more than three times between mid-May and June-end.
The DIAL in a statement said that the Delhi airport started witnessing growth in the number of passengers in a slow and steady fashion following the relaxation of lockdown and travel norms across states and highlighted 19% of those travellers were travelling for business purposes and 25% were vacationing. It said that the highest category of passengers were people who were visiting family and friends. It said that it saw a drop compared to 2019, when 44% of the passengers were vacationers.
The DIAL also highlighted that Delhi Airport witnessed over three times rise in domestic passenger numbers from around 18,000 per day in mid-May 2021 to over 62,000 per day at the end of June 2021.
