Singapore, Bangkok cheaper than Port Blair for Chennai flyers

CHENNAI:

Singapore

,

Bangkok

or Kuala Lumpur may be more attractive destinations than the

Andaman and Nicobar

Islands for a short

summer

getaway as one-way fares from Chennai to

Port Blair

are hovering close to fares to the Southeast Asian cities. Air fares to these short-haul international destinations are only Rs1,000 to Rs2,000 costlier than the fares to Port Blair.

Air fares to Port Blair are in the range of Rs4800-8165 for travel in the first week of March and April while they range from Rs5,000 to Rs7,200 in the first week of May. The fare is higher for the Good Friday long weekend with the maximum fare touching Rs12,740 on an Air India flight for travel on March 29. A holiday in the north could also be ideal as air fares on the Chennai-Delhi route are in the range of Rs2,900 to Rs6,000 for trips during the Good Friday long weekend and the first week of April and much lower for trips in the first week of May.

High demand and fewer flights are making fares soar on the sector. The six daily flights are not enough to cater to the demand from tourists and residents of the islands who travel often to the mainland for trade and supplies. Vistara will be launching a flight on the Chennai-Port Blair next month but this has not helped in bringing down the fares.

Yatra.com chief operating officer Sharat Dhall said, “Port Blair has become a preferred choice for travellers seeking a break on pristine beaches. We have seen the demand almost double in 2017 compared to the previous year, despite flights to Port Blair being expensive. The high fares could be attributed to the fact that although the capacity to Port Blair has expanded, it has not kept pace with the rising demand. Moreover, there are only a few cities having direct flights to Port Blair resulting in the demand from all over the country being funnelled through these limited routes.”

Airline officials said flights to Port Blair are more expensive than those to Delhi, though the travel time to both destinations was around the same, because of high operating costs. A pilot said that Port Blair was prone to bad weather and flights have to return to Chennai because there are no nearby airports to divert them. “We have to take more fuel anticipating these disturbances. This cost is weaved in, causing the minimum fare to remain high,” he added. It takes two hours and 10 minutes to reach the islands while it takes two hours and 30 minutes to reach Delhi.

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