Aviation woes abroad may keep Indians grounded
NEW DELHI: Indian travel operators and portals expect the British Airways strike and protests and shutdown of the Hong Kong airport last month to further put the brakes on outbound travel in the current quarter. They said India is likely to register a negative growth in outbound travel this year as the sector is yet to recover from the repercussions of the Jet AirwaysNSE -1.54 % closure with fares remaining high for West-bound flights.
An executive at the national carrier Air India said fares for markets such as the UK, US, and the Gulf had started picking up soon after the closure of Jet Airways and have stayed the same since then.
“Flight fares to the UK have been up by 30%, and the US by 16%. Overall, Europe has been up by 12-15%, while the Gulf has been up by 20%. Fares have stayed the same way after picking up after the shutdown,” he said. Even fares to Australia have gone up by up to 10%, he said.
