Airfares to several domestic destinations dropped sharply as passengers became wary of travel in the past few days.

Tour operators and airlines had begun to hope the demand would go up after Saturday evening’s ceasefire announcement, but this was short-lived amid fears of renewed tensions between India and Pakistan.

As the demand for seats in several sectors, particularly northern and western India, from Calcutta dropped sharply over the last few days because of the closure of several airports and air routes and a general apprehension in the minds of passengers, fares dropped in some sectors by more than 50 per cent, said travel industry sources.

On Saturday evening, the average one-way fare to Delhi for Monday was around ₹5,500. The fare is usually around ₹10,000. The average one-way fare for Mumbai on Monday was around ₹6,000. It is usually around ₹12,500.

The average one-way fare from Calcutta to Hyderabad on Monday was around ₹7,000. The price is usually ₹9,000, said sources.

Officials of the Calcutta airport said the passenger footfall in the domestic sector had decreased in the past few days.

On May 9, around 26,600 passengers arrived in Calcutta, and around 25,000 took flights out of the city. The average footfall at the Calcutta airport had crossed over 30,000 in each direction, said an official.

Four domestic flights to destinations like Srinagar, Chandigarh and Amritsar stayed cancelled on Saturday because those airports were closed, the official said.

“Even in sectors like Delhi and Mumbai, except for essential travel, many have cancelled their journeys or deferred their plans. This has forced the fares down,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member, Travel Agents Federation of India, representing the eastern region.

Airline officials said they were expecting the demand to rise within a week. But this was when the ceasefire had been announced.

Sources in IndiGo said most flights between Calcutta and Delhi had barely 50 per cent occupancy..

“Due to security reasons, until airports reopen, IndiGo stands committed to supporting its customers during this time. We understand the uncertainty this situation may have caused and want to assure you that our team is here to help,” IndiGo said in a statement on Saturday.

“Change and cancellation fees are being waived for bookings made during this period. If customers were scheduled to fly into or out of the impacted airports, they may now choose to travel from or to another nearby airport without any additional charges. This flexibility is available across our
network for eligible bookings. We are also planning to operate relief flights to support stranded passengers and will share updates as these plans are confirmed,” the airline said.

A city businessman who travelled to Bengaluru, Hyderabad and then to Delhi on May 6 and returned to Calcutta on May 8 said security measures had been beefed up at all airports. This had led to an increase in waiting time in the queues, he said.

“Each hand baggage is checked twice at the security-check counters. Also,
frisking is being done twice, and each time it is taking more time,” the businessman said.