Low-cost carriers increase number of flights, but no relief from high fares

Low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet have beaten full-service airlines Jet Airways and Air India (AI) with an 18 per cent jump in the number of flights for the forthcoming winter schedule (October 27 to March 31) compared to last year but fares are expected to remain high .

Strangely, national carrier AI, which claims to have been performing well since February and also operates the Boeing 787 Dreamliners on domestic routes, has cut down flights by over seven per cent for the winter schedule.

Civil aviation ministry officials said that this could be an alarm bell for the AI as it is set to lose market share.

Jet has meanwhile increased the number of flights by eight per cent while its subsidiary Jetlite has scaled down the number by 35 per cent.

Industry sources said that despite the increase in flights, travellers are unlikely to get relief from high fares, which have already gone up by 35 per cent over the same period last year. There has also been a convergence of fares with profitmaking, low- cost carriers charging more or less the same fares as full- service airlines.

Leading low- cost carrier Indigo, which has expanded its fleet to 70 planes, has been the biggest gainer with an 18- per cent increase in flights. Rival nofrill SpiceJet has enhanced the number of its flights for the winter schedule by a similar 17.84 per cent. However, the 11,886 weekly flights approved for domestic carriers for this winter schedule is still way less than 13,500 weekly flights till two years back when Kingfisher Airlines was operating and fares had fallen to rock bottom.

Courtesy: Mail Today