Ahmedabad: With the Christmas-New Year holidays and the surge in NRI travel, the flight fares from Ahmedabad to the US and Canada have risen by approximately 30%, resulting in increased travel expenses for students. One-way airfares, which previously ranged from Rs 70,000 to Rs 90,000 per person, have now escalated to as much as Rs 1.7 lakh per person, according to data provided by travel operators.

A student from Ahmedabad, who is scheduled to leave for Toronto next week to pursue her postgraduate course, incurred a cost of Rs 1.47 lakh for her ticket. She noted, “Typically, the one-way airfare is around Rs 80,000 per person. but, due to the influx of students ahead of the fall intake season, there has been a hike in the price of flight tickets.” Likewise, an undergraduate student heading to Canada paid Rs 1.6 lakh for her ticket.

One youth, heading to California for an undergraduate course, expressed dismay at the skyrocketing ticket costs, paying Rs 1.3 lakh instead of the usual Rs 80,000. The unexpected additional expense has disrupted his budget.

Travel industry experts note that December-January witnesses a significant increase in NRI movement, especially during the Christmas-New Year holiday season in the US and Canada, contributing to the spike in airfares. Virendra Shah, chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India (Gujarat), explained, “The high demand for flight tickets and the rise in the cost of aviation turbine fuel have pushed up travel costs.”

A travel consultant from Ahmedabad, added, “During the fall intake, a significant number of students from across Gujarat travel to the US, Canada, and the UK. Consequently, ticket prices have surged by at least 30%, with flights to Canada experiencing the most substantial increase.” He further noted that, despite the availability of direct flights to the US and Canada via Abu Dhabi, the airfares show only a nominal difference compared to those via Mumbai or Delhi earlier. The increased flight frequency from Ahmedabad has not translated into a reduction in ticket prices. DeshGujarat