Collapse of Jet Airways ‘bad for everyone’ as cost of flight to India soars, making it cheaper to fly to London than Delhi
- Carrier had 25 per cent of market flying to Delhi, and 32 per cent on Mumbai route
- Cathay Pacific and Air India now dominate market, with cost of ticket likely to skyrocket as a result
Travelling to India from Hong Kong is likely to get a lot more expensive after the near-demise of the country’s largest private airline caused a 25 per cent reduction in available seats, while fares to Delhi have soared to more than the cost of a flight to London.
On Friday, Jet Airways halted all international flights leaving thousands of passengers stranded until Monday, and with staff protesting over the weekend, the airline is on the brink of collapse.
Industry figures said the carrier’s woes were bad news for everyone, and predicted the cost of a seat would skyrocket with Cathay Pacific and Air India now dominating the market.
Hong Kong teacher Deepen Nebhwani, 21, and his extended family were frequent travellers on Jet Airways. They now use Air India, although they are not happy about it.
“My uncle flew here [Hong Kong] last month because they didn’t trust Jet. They weren’t happy about it because Air India’s seen as an inferior option,” Nebhwani said.