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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Air fares to India competitive this summer

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By Vinod Nair — MUSCAT: Feb 20 - Air fares to the Indian sector is said to be competitive this summer with a budget airline adding more routes, mainly to southern states. As per online trends, at the same time most airlines have hiked fares for this period (last week of May) due to peak demand. Indian community schools in Oman are expected to close for summer holidays from the last week of May, according to sources. On the most frequented Muscat-Kochi sector, Oman Air offers one-way tickets for fares around RO 220, budget airline Indigo fares start from R0 78 (one-way) and for Jet Airways ((one-way) it starts from RO132. Fares differ on the dates.


On the Muscat-Chennai sector, Indigo offers flights start from RO 80, while Oman Air fares start from RO 132. Oman Air one-way fares to Bangalore start from RO137.


Oman Air plans increase its frequency to the Indian city of Kozhikode to double flights, adding to Indigo’s new services to that sector from March 20.


Oman Air flights to Delhi start from RO 150 while on Jet Airways fares start from RO 88 for the last week of May.


Oman Air tickets to Goa start from R0 128 for the same period.


“Fares are competitive compared to previous years during summer holidays. Taking into account that fares have been on the lower side for most part of the last year, it is natural for airlines to step up prices during the peak season,” said a top executive of a leading airline operating in the sector.


“Prices are on the higher side for during May-June period. I would advise that the single travelers should not rush into purchasing tickets.  There is a possibility that airlines may offer a few seats at throwaway prices at the 11th hour to make up the load factor,” he added.


“It won’t be possible for those travelling with families to wait till the last moment, but others can surely take few chances,” he said.


Travel experts claim that the air travel out of the GCC will remain moderate due to economic challenges following drop in oil prices.


“Crude prices are on the higher side compared to what it was around this time last year. But economic challenges still prevail on the ground,” according to a report on global air travel trends.


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