World Cup cricket: India-Pak faceoff sends airfares soaring

Fares have shot up as fans scramble for tickets to witness the clash between the two teams in India after more than a decade. The last time India and Pakistan played each other on Indian soil was on January 2013 in Delhi. It was also the last bilateral series between the two nations.

The airfares for Ahmedabad for a day before the 15 October match have spiked 330% to around ₹ 11,300 from Indore as compared to an average fare of ₹2,600 for the rest of the October month, data from travel portals showed.

Similarly, airfares for Ahmedabad from Delhi have risen by 250% from the usual October airfares to ₹17,500, and fares from Mumbai currently cost approximately ₹13,000, 225% up from the average October fare of ₹4,000 for the route.

A direct flight from Jaipur to Ahmedabad on 14 October currently costs approximately ₹17,000, 170% more than the average October fare of ₹6,300 for the route.

Similarly, fares from Hyderabad and Kochi are up by 200-230% to nearly ₹18,000 and ₹23,000, respectively.

Airfares for Ahmedabad from Kolkata are currently higher by almost 130% from the usual October airfare levels to ₹23,000, and those from Chandigarh and Bengaluru are up by nearly 80-90% to ₹ 13,000 and ₹10,000, respectively, for a one-way flight ticket.

“Many cricket fans are going all-out to experience the match between India and Pakistan. There has been a 46% increase in searches for travel and tickets throughout the World Cup period. Since the formal announcement of the dates, hotel charges for a single night have increased tenfold,” chief executive officer and co-founder of EaseMyTrip Nishant Pitti said.

“Luxury hotels have charged up to ₹50,000 per night. Not only are hotel prices rising, but so are airline tickets. Even if people book three months in advance, flight rates to the host city are still prohibitively expensive,” Pitti said.

The most anticipated match for Indian fans will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 15 October. India, a two-time world champion, has played Pakistan seven times earlier at the ODI World Cup and retained a 100% winning streak against Pakistan in all seven encounters.

The Cricket World Cup is held every four years. India is set to host the World Cup 2023 from 5 October to 19 November.

The tournament’s opening match and the finals are also scheduled to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

“We are seeing strong early demand of over 100% propelled by the cricket bonanza in the last quarter of the year. Currently, airfares for the top match venues from sectors like Mumbai and Delhi are witnessing a 30-60% surge for October-November: Ahmedabad 50-60%, Mumbai 40-50% and Kolkata 30-40%,” said Indiver Rastogi, president and group head, global business travel, Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel.

“High-demand routes for other match venues like Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Dharamshala, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Pune are also seeing a 20-40% surge in fares,” Rastogi said.

As the demand is exceptionally strong for the India-Pakistan match, there is also a possibility that airlines may deploy a higher number of flights to handle the traffic and leverage the opportunity.

“Airlines frequently anticipate higher demand for travel to the host country and places where matches are scheduled during major sporting events such as the Cricket World Cup. As a result, some airlines may deploy additional flights or change their flight schedules to meet the increased passenger traffic demand. Airlines may add more flights or employ larger planes to fulfil the travel demands of fans and participants if there is a considerable rise in demand and possible profit,” Pitti of EaseMyTrip said.

Updated: 21 Jul 2023, 11:51 PM IST