Ranchi Airfares Skyrocket: Jet Fuel Costs & West Asia War Impact Summer Travel

Ranchi: Airfares from Ranchi to several destinations across the country, including Delhi and Kolkata, have risen sharply after airlines hiked ticket prices to cope with the increase in jet fuel costs triggered by the ongoing war in West Asia.

The sudden surge in fares has left travellers and tour operators in the city concerned, particularly during the peak summer travel season.Flight tickets from Ranchi to Delhi have shot up to around Rs 15,000 from the usual Rs 4,000- 5,000, across various airlines. Similarly, airfares to Kolkata-bound flights skyrocketed at the maximum to Rs 17,000 for Friday, from the usual around Rs 4,000.Mumbai-bound flights from the city also witnessed a sharp rise, with the price shooting up to Rs 12,000 for one-way commute.

The sharp rise in fares is adversely affecting tour operators in the city during the peak summer travel season. Travel agents in the city said the steep rise in fares has started affecting their business in the peak season as tourists are not opting for any packages.“Summer is usually one of the busiest seasons for us, but the sudden hike in airfares has slowed down bookings significantly. Many families planning vacations are now reconsidering their travel plans,” said Mayank Vijaybargiya, a travel operator in city.

He added that due to the ongoing conflict he has already suffered a significant financial loss as many families have cancelled their foreign trips.“Since the war broke out, at least four families who were on a trip to Dubai cancelled their trips, fearing the situation there. That has already incurred a heavy loss. I was hoping of a surge in domestic travel, but with the airfares increasing, I am not very hopeful of that,” he added.Another tour operator, Pratik Jain said that the unavailability of air tickets, as an alternative to flight tickets also exacerbating their inconvenience.“While the airfares are skyrocketing, we are not able to book train tickets for tourist places within the country. Repeated attempts to book train tickets yielding no results. The situation needs govt intervention to control the increasing airfares, so that the tourism sector can survive,” Jain added.Flight tickets from Ranchi to Delhi have shot up to around Rs 15,000 from Rs 4,000- 5,000. Mumbai-bound flights from the city also witnessed a sharp rise, with the price shooting up to Rs 12,000 for one-way commute