Bengaluru: Festive-season travel is set to pinch more with IndiGo increasing fuel charges — by as much as 44% in some sectors — effective Tuesday, with long-distance travellers taking a bigger hit. The airline operates more than 80 direct flights from Bengaluru every day.The operator attributed its second tariff revision in seven months to Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) costs rising significantly. Bengaluru’s migrant diaspora, travelling to Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram and Goa, would face a higher burden. For an 850km flight between Bengaluru and Mumbai, fuel charge might rise from Rs 600 to Rs 900, a rise of 50%.For those travelling to destinations farther than 1,500km, fuel charges will rise from Rs 800 to Rs 1,150. Delhi, Kolkata and Jaipur falling under this category will see 44% hike. For Srinagar 2,300km away from Bengaluru, the fuel costs will climb from Rs 950 to 1,300, or an increase of Rs 350.With twin Dasara and Deepavali round the corner, airfares to destinations in the north and the east are already ruling high, with Skyscanner, a global travel metasearch engine, recording five-digit airfares from Bengaluru to Kolkata.A domestic round trip to Kolkata for a family would cross Rs 1 lakh. “One solution is to book separate flight tickets for a split journey. Many flyers book flights from Bengaluru to Vizag and then another to Kolkata from there to save money,” said Soumik C, from Byppanahalli.Karnataka State Travel Operators’ Association stated that the situation forces travellers to rethink and re-budget travel plans if their itinerary involves far-off destinations.KSTOA president K Radhakrishna Holla said: “This will negatively impact tourism, hospitality and transport sectors in Karnataka. From October, South India enters its major festival and tourism season. Pleasant weather, cultural festivals and holidays normally attract a large number of tourists.”
