Durga Puja rush sends Kolkata airfares soaring; tickets from Chennai nearly double for October 16

Travelling to Kolkata at the start of Durga Puja could cost passengers substantially more this year, with airfares for October 16 showing a sharp festival premium and tickets on some routes costing nearly twice as much as those for a comparable post-festival date.

An analysis of 53 domestic routes showed that the median airfare across seven routes into Kolkata for October 16 stood at Rs 14,117. That was about 71 per cent higher than the Rs 8,259 median fare for travel a week later and 54 per cent above the same-day fare of Rs 9,140 recorded when the data was captured. The figures were based on advertised fares available on the morning of September 16 and could change as airlines adjust prices and seat inventories.

Chennai sees biggest jump

The steepest increase was on the Chennai-Kolkata route, where the October 16 fare was around Rs 15,500, compared with Rs 7,900 for November 15 — a rise of 94.9 per cent. Bengaluru-Kolkata tickets were priced at around Rs 16,900 against Rs 9,600, while Mumbai-Kolkata fares were around Rs 15,200 compared with Rs 8,600.

Hyderabad-Kolkata fares rose to around Rs 13,000 from Rs 7,900, while Pune-Kolkata tickets were priced at Rs 14,100 against Rs 11,200. Delhi-Kolkata fares stood at around Rs 12,300 compared with Rs 10,100, while Ahmedabad recorded the smallest increase, with fares rising to Rs 11,200 from Rs 10,600.

In percentage terms, Chennai recorded a 94.9 per cent increase between October 16 and November 15, followed by Mumbai at 78.1 per cent, Bengaluru at 76.5 per cent and Hyderabad at 65.3 per cent. Pune fares were 26.2 per cent higher, Delhi 22.2 per cent and Ahmedabad 6 per cent.

Festival demand drives spike

October 16 coincides with the beginning of Durga Puja, with most Bengali calendars marking Maha Shashthi on the day, though some place it on October 17. Vijaya Dashami falls on October 21.

The fare pattern suggested that the surge was concentrated on Kolkata rather than reflecting a broader rise in domestic airfares in October. Across 40 routes in the analysis that did not involve Kolkata, the median October 16 fare was Rs 6,271 — the lowest among the six travel dates compared.

When fares were grouped by destination, Kolkata recorded a 65.3 per cent increase for October 16 compared with November 15. Hyderabad, the next highest, registered an increase of just 1.9 per cent, while fares to the other six cities were lower on October 16 than on the November comparison date.

The difference was also visible between inbound and outbound Kolkata flights. On every city pair for which fares in both directions were available, flights heading into Kolkata showed a larger increase than those leaving the city. Mumbai-Kolkata fares, for instance, were about 78 per cent higher, while Kolkata-Mumbai fares were up only around 5 per cent against the November comparison.

Capacity not sole factor

The number of flights available on individual routes did not show a consistent relationship with the fare increase. Bengaluru, which has around 11 daily flights to Kolkata, recorded one of the sharpest increases, while Delhi, with about 21 daily services, saw a comparatively smaller rise.

The figures represent median advertised fares rather than prices actually paid by passengers and were captured at a single point in time. Airfares are dynamic and can change quickly depending on demand, seat availability and airline pricing decisions.

The data nevertheless pointed to a pronounced demand premium for passengers heading to Kolkata around Durga Puja, particularly from major metropolitan centres.