The month of October had traditionally been a strong season for air traffic. But this year, domestic passenger traffic declined steeply by 15.7 per cent in Octoberdue to a combination of factors, including high air fares and a slowing economy.

The air fare jump was nearly 30 per cent as compared to last year, according to aviation experts. The grounding of Kingfisher Airlines, which had 19 per cent market share last year, has had an impact on the soaring air fares.

According to data submitted by various airlines, the number of domestic passengers dropped to 45.55 lakh in October from over 54 lakh during October 2011.

While the festive month of October could not bring cheer for the aviation sector, airlines are thinking out-of-the-box to woo passengers through various deals and offers. Airlines like IndiGo, Go Air and Air India have offered discounts of up to 50 per cent that has prompted travellers to make their bookings for the coming year between January and March, 2013.

Air India that strengthened its market share to 20.8 per cent in October had launched its special promotion scheme in order to attract travellers for the lean period of January to March. The sale that was open for three days from November 19 to 21 was available for travel on more than 325 city pairs. The fares, inclusive of all taxes, under this scheme ranged from Rs 1,799 to Rs 4,199.

Under the scheme, some of the fares in specific routes included, Chennai—Delhi: Rs 3,699; Delhi-Kolkata: Rs 3,699; Chennai-Mumbai: Rs 2,699; Delhi-Mumbai: Rs 3,699; Chennai-Kolkata: Rs 2,699; Kochi-Trivandrum: Rs 1,799; Chennai-Pune: Rs 1,799; Imphal-Guwahati: Rs 1,799; Kolkata-Bhubaneswar: Rs 1,799 and Mumbai-Ahmedabad: Rs 1,799.

While Air India is on an aggressive path to regain its market, other players like Jet Airways have also come up with schemes for the lean season ahead.

Jet Airways recently introduced short-haul “One Fare Pass” for domestic travellers. The “One Fare Pass” booklets contain four coupons that will be applicable for travel in both Premiere and Economy Class on domestic flights, less than 750 kms in distance.

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