Rising cost of air travel

Everyone is talking about how costly it is now to fly. Ever since borders opened post-Covid, flight tickets have been expensive. But it looks like it's getting more expensive.

Once upon a time, in India, only the really rich could fly. But over the last 25 years, air travel has become more affordable, and there is now a growing number of people who are choosing to fly rather than go by bus or train.

But buses and trains are far less expensive. For example, Bengaluru - Thiruvananthapuram flight will now cost an average ₹5,000. Bus fare is around Rs 1,800, while the train fare is around ₹1,200 (for A/c coaches) and just around ₹500 (for non-A/c coaches).

Still, many choose to fly because they can save time. Flight to Thiruvananthapuram will take a little over one hour, but a bus or train journey will take over 15 hours. The distance is around 700 km.

International fares, too, have skyrocketed.

When seen globally, still, India is among the countries where airfare is low. But, comparison of airfares in different countries can be tricky. In some countries, airfares might look costlier, but the average income there could also be comparatively higher.

Still, here are some figures I got with a web search. They might not be very accurate.

Of course, we all know the multiple reasons for the spike: the increasing cost of fuel and the financial crunch faced by airline companies.

I wonder if the airfares will come down any time in the near future.