New Delhi, Oct. 20 -- For many Indians, Diwali means going home, and, like every year, flight tickets are set to cost more this time around. If a LocalCircles survey is to be believed, 54% of air travellers going home this festive season are paying over 50% more than they paid in 2025. However, this time the surge is not driven by the demand alone. Livemint delves into the factors driving the surge, and breaks down the airfares flyers are paying.

Blame it on the war in West Asia, international jet fuel prices witnessed a steep hike. ATF prices have surged nearly 2.5 times from Rs.60.50 per litre in March 2026 to Rs.142 per litre in May 2026, as per the Union Cabinet's recent briefing. ATF constitutes about 40% of the airline's total oper...