Average airfares on several domestic routes have declined by nearly 20 to 25 per cent in this Diwali season compared to a year ago, according to a study.

The reasons for the drop in airfares are the rising capacity of airlines and the latest fall in oil prices, according to a PTI report citing an analysis by travel portal Ixigo.

The 20 to 25 per cent change in airfares is for a one-way average fare on a 30 days advanced purchase date (APD) basis, which is the number of days before departure the ticket is bought to get the best fare.

The analysis has considered the Diwali season for 2023 and 2024. In 2023, dates from November 10 to 16 are taken into account, and for this year, a period from October 28 to November 3 is taken into account.

“Last year, airfares around Diwali had surged due to limited capacity, primarily driven by the suspension of Go First airline. However, this year we’ve seen some relief as additional capacity has been added since then, leading to a 20-25 per cent YoY (year-on-year) dip in average airfares across key routes for the last week of October,” Ixigo Group CEO Aloke Bajpai told