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After hotel tariffs, airfare soars for India vs Pak match
Ahead of India vs Pakistan match to be held in October, Delhi, and Mumbai airfares to Ahmedabad cross ₹20,000
With three months to go for much-awaited India vs Pakistan match in Ahmedabad on October 15 as part of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the airfares to the host city are skyrocketing. The flight tickets for October 14, one day before the match, have seen a significant surge in price, especially between the Delhi-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Ahmedabad sectors. Currently, a one-way direct flight from Delhi to Ahmedabad and Mumbai to Ahmedabad costs between ₹15,000 to ₹22,000.
Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip highlighted the immense popularity of the India vs Pakistan match, stating, “Ever since the announcement has been made officially, there has been a 5X increase in hotel tariffs for one night. Luxury hotels have been charging as high as ₹50,000 per night. And it’s not just hotels but even flight tickets are soaring. Even if people book three months in advance, airfares are six times more expensive than usual. An economy class Delhi-Ahmedabad ticket in August and September would be around ₹3000. But the same ticket a day before the match, would cost ₹20,000,” said Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip. “The demand for flight tickets and searches on our website reached an all-time high. Majority of people keen to attend the match have already started booking the tickets in advance, ” he added.
Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO and Co-Founder of ixigo, emphasised the surge in travel queries to all host cities, including Ahmedabad. “We have seen a significant surge in search queries for travel to all host cities. A one-way average flight fare for Delhi- Ahmedabad last year was ₹4973. This year it is as high as ₹12,000 for Indigo flights and ₹22,000 for Vistara flights. That’s more than a 100% increase. Price fares may go up close to the match dates depending upon the demand and availability.”
A further sharp spike in airfares is expected in the coming months. A Krishna Mohan, MD of Southern Travels said, “Prices will peak by the end of September, perhaps even ten times as much as normal fares for flights from Delhi to Ahmedabad. The highly anticipated cricket match between India and Pakistan is a big contributor. Also, the forthcoming Navratri holiday in Gujarat, which begins on the same day, accentuates the demand for travel to Ahmedabad, contributing to the price increase.”
