As Vistara scales down operations, fares rise by up to 25% on major routes

Vistara's announcement of scaling down operations by reducing 25-30 flights a day, roughly 10 per cent of its operating capacity, has triggered a 20-25 per cent jump in already high airfares across major routes, The Indian Express reported. Just ahead of the peak summer travel season, travel industry insiders reported a surge of approximately 20-25 per cent in fares across key routes such as Delhi-Goa, Delhi-Kochi, Delhi-Jammu, and Delhi-Srinagar, the national-daily said. On average, the airline conducts approximately 350 flights daily. However, since April 1, Vistara has been forced to cancel more than 150 flights cumulatively due to pilots unexpectedly reporting sick at the end of March. Given the ongoing demand-supply mismatch leading to higher airfares, Vistara's move has exacerbated pressure, particularly on routes affected by cancellations. While Vistara has not specified the duration of the capacity cut, indications suggest it will likely remain in effect until at least the end of April, keeping fares high on affected routes during this period, the report said. Notably, in the Indian airlines' summer schedule for 2024, Vistara showed significant growth in approved domestic flights compared to the previous winter schedule and last year's summer schedule.