<p>Bengaluru: Rising ticket prices and a declining number of operational flights are pushing Bengalureans away from domestic travel, said travel agents and industry <br>insiders. </p>.<p>Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for April showed a 4.2% drop in domestic passenger traffic, in comparison to the previous month. </p>.<p>In April, cumulatively, airlines carried about 1.38 crore flyers, a 4.2% dip from March’s traffic of 1.44 crore passengers.</p>.Bengaluru: ATF price hike may hit fliers' domestic travel plans .<p>The numbers also guideda dip when compared to data from April 2025, when travel had been impacted by the terror attack in Pahalgam, and the airlines had recorded 1.43 crore passengers. </p>.<p>Overall, the first half of 2026 has seen leaner domestic movement compared to previous years, shared industry experts, highlighting that the numbers are unlikely to pick up as the travel industry enters its lean months from June. </p>.<p>“One of the main reasons is that airlines have cut down on routes. Many have reduced operational routes by 20%, which has greatly impacted domestic travel. Lesser flights, higher fares are pushing people away from domestic air travel,” said Rajiv Mehrotra, executive director, Holiday Concierge.</p>.<p>Tourists are now opting for short international vacations.</p>.<p>“With destination management companies (DMC) diverting their attention from the Gulf countries to South and Southeast Asian countries, travel to countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal and Sri Lanka has become cheaper. There are cheaper packages available. So, people can travel to these countries in almost the same amount they’d spend on a trip to Kashmir,” said Shamanth Krishnamurthy, proprietor, Sanman Travels. </p>.<p>The volatile nature of the aviation industry over the past few months has also made travellers wary, with many opting for road-based travel options when available. </p>.<p>As per DGCA data, during April, 1.1% of flights were delayed for more than two hours. Overall, over 1.35 lakh passengers were impacted by flight delays, 77,065 passengers faced flight cancellations, and 641 were denied boarding. </p>.<p>Bangalore International Airport Limited didn’t respond to <span class="italic">DH</span>’s queries about Kempegowda International Airport’s monthly domestic traffic data for 2026. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Rising ticket prices and a declining number of operational flights are pushing Bengalureans away from domestic travel, said travel agents and industry <br>insiders. </p>.<p>Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for April showed a 4.2% drop in domestic passenger traffic, in comparison to the previous month. </p>.<p>In April, cumulatively, airlines carried about 1.38 crore flyers, a 4.2% dip from March’s traffic of 1.44 crore passengers.</p>.Bengaluru: ATF price hike may hit fliers' domestic travel plans .<p>The numbers also guideda dip when compared to data from April 2025, when travel had been impacted by the terror attack in Pahalgam, and the airlines had recorded 1.43 crore passengers. </p>.<p>Overall, the first half of 2026 has seen leaner domestic movement compared to previous years, shared industry experts, highlighting that the numbers are unlikely to pick up as the travel industry enters its lean months from June. </p>.<p>“One of the main reasons is that airlines have cut down on routes. Many have reduced operational routes by 20%, which has greatly impacted domestic travel. Lesser flights, higher fares are pushing people away from domestic air travel,” said Rajiv Mehrotra, executive director, Holiday Concierge.</p>.<p>Tourists are now opting for short international vacations.</p>.<p>“With destination management companies (DMC) diverting their attention from the Gulf countries to South and Southeast Asian countries, travel to countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal and Sri Lanka has become cheaper. There are cheaper packages available. So, people can travel to these countries in almost the same amount they’d spend on a trip to Kashmir,” said Shamanth Krishnamurthy, proprietor, Sanman Travels. </p>.<p>The volatile nature of the aviation industry over the past few months has also made travellers wary, with many opting for road-based travel options when available. </p>.<p>As per DGCA data, during April, 1.1% of flights were delayed for more than two hours. Overall, over 1.35 lakh passengers were impacted by flight delays, 77,065 passengers faced flight cancellations, and 641 were denied boarding. </p>.<p>Bangalore International Airport Limited didn’t respond to <span class="italic">DH</span>’s queries about Kempegowda International Airport’s monthly domestic traffic data for 2026. </p>