MUSCAT, OCT 25
The winter travel season is around the corner, but holiday planners are grappling with steep airfares driven by prevailing high crude and aviation fuel prices. Global airfares were up 12.3 per cent year on year, according to OAG analysis based on four full weeks of departure data. The average airfare stood at $448 (RO 172) in September 2026 compared with $399 (RO 153) in September 2025, while the October average is $453 (RO 174) against $412 (RO 158) a year earlier. Despite frequent promotions, fares have stayed on the higher side this year even during off-peak travel months.
The rise is directly linked to aviation fuel prices, which account for nearly 40 per cent of an airline's operating costs. Aviation fuel, which traded below $90 per barrel in February 2026, jumped to over $200 in April and May, and has hovered between $185 and $194 for most of September and October.
Travel from Oman to India is set to get costlier after the country's largest operators raised fuel surcharges this month, with the sector also affected by a lack of sufficient competition. IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express have increased the surcharge to Rs 5,500 for Southeast Asia, the GCC and the Middle East, and North and East Asia. At current exchange levels, tickets are likely to cost nearly RO 22 more on flights to Oman.
Muscat International Airport, meanwhile, recorded a drop of 8.2 per cent each in international arrivals and departures in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year. Monthly fare levels against 2025 peaked in March at 25.8 per cent higher, eased to 11.1 per cent in April, rose again to 21.6 per cent in May, and touched their lowest at 7.7 per cent in July, following the announcement of a temporary agreement between the US and Iran.
"The coming months will reveal whether travellers, whose purchasing power has been reduced by higher energy prices, are adjusting their travel budgets, and might be discouraged from travelling due to the prevailing geopolitical instability," said Marie Owens Thomsen, Senior Vice-President for Sustainability and Chief Economist at the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Fares generally ease only with lower demand, discounts or stronger competition, according to industry sources. For travel planners, Skyscanner notes that airlines use dynamic pricing systems that can update fares at any time. "The price you see when researching flights depends on different factors, such as how many seats remain in each fare category and how quickly the flight is selling," it said. "Compare flight prices across several dates, start looking for fares early, and be sure to set up a Price Alert. If your travel dates are fixed and the fare is within your budget, it's usually best not to delay, as there is no guarantee booking at a later date will be cheaper."
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