Social distancing in planes may push airfares up by three times

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:13.04.2020

The first few days post-lockdown could see airfares skyrocket to up to three times the pre-corona ticket costs as flights may be operating with only one-third occupancy to ensure maximum social distancing between onboard passengers.

Aviation authorities are evaluating the option of allowing only one person in a row of three seats, with another passenger in the immediately-behind row-of-three on the diametrically opposite seat — widow-aisle-window-aisle configuration — during ‘Phase I’ of the restart. The seating capacity of a 180-seater single aisle (six seats across 30 rows) will, therefore, fall by two-thirds to 60 (two persons on each row of six seats across 30 rows).

To compensate for the loss of capacity, airlines will need to raise fares by anywhere between 1.5 to 3 times, say officials. “Given the seat width, having one vacant seat between two passengers may not be adequate social distancing. With time, as things hopefully improve on the corona front in terms of spread getting contained and medicines/vaccines being developed, we will gradually ease onboard social distancing norms,” said a senior official.

The directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) is preparing a flight resumption plan that will be implemented once the government allows schedule passenger movement post lockdown.

The regulator is likely to seek a 1.5-metre distancing between passengers at airports, by marking points everywhere — right from entry gate where tickets and IDs have to be shown to be allowed inside the terminal to the check-in counter, security check, immigration (for international) counters and boarding gates.

“Preliminary discussions have already been held with airlines and airport operators. Given the low volume of travel expected in the first few weeks, 1.5-metre distancing will not be an issue at big airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and some others.

Airlines have indicated airfares will rise from 1.5 to 3 times due to the norms for flying emptier planes,” said the official. Given the poor health of all Indian carriers, with Indi-Go being the only player with some cash reserves, it remains to be see who all survive the pandemic-blow.

The PPP airport revenue model is based on footfalls with operators making the capital expenditure, based on aeronautical (from airlines through landing, parking charges of aircraft) and nonaero (people shopping and eating) earnings from a projected traffic flow over a period of time.

Aviation authorities are evaluating the option of allowing only one person in a row of three seats, with another passenger in the immediately-behind row-of-three on the diametrically opposite seat