Deepavali rush and fuel hikes push Bengaluru airfares up over 50%

Domestic airfares from Bengaluru have surged ahead of Deepavali, making festive travel significantly more expensive. One-way fares for the first week of November range from Rs 18,083 to Rs 26,053 for Patna, and Rs 13,807 to Rs 26,663 for Varanasi. Ansh Thakur, a Varthur resident, noted that fares were charged around 50% more than usual, citing an increase from an expected Rs 8,000 to over Rs 13,000 for Delhi travel. Additionally, the rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, which rose by Rs 16 per litre in October, has led airlines to revise fuel surcharges.