Mumbai airfares surge as runway to be closed for repairs from tomorrow
Airfares are up by more than 30% on days when the runway will be shutMore than 250 flights to and from Mumbai are likely to get affected as a result of the extensive repair exercise
NEW DELHI : If you are flying in or out of Mumbai anytime till next month, be ready to shell out more as air fares have shot up and several flights have been cancelled due to extensive runway repair work scheduled to begin tomorrow.
Both the primary and secondary runways of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) will be closed for six hours for maintenance every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from February 7 to March 30, ANI reported. About 46 flights take off or land at the Mumbai airport every hour, and more than 250 flights are likely to be affected as a result.
Jet Airways and Vistara have already put out a listS of flights, both domestic and international, that have been cancelled as a result of the extensive repair exercise for re-carpeting the intersection between the two runways.
Travel agents said the runway closure for three days a week till March 30 this year will force travellers, especially those on leisure, to tweak their schedules to avoid travelling on the days when the airport is closed to avoid inconvenience as much as possible.
“This will push up air fares across the board as many passengers will prefer flying out of Mumbai on days when the runway is not shut," John Nair, Head of Business Travel, Cox & Kings Ltd, said when contacted.
Sharat Dhall, COO, Yatra, said fares are up by upwards of 30% compared to days when the repairs will be on the non-closure days. “We would advise travellers to plan their travel well in advance to avoid paying these extremely high fares," he said.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!