According to Rosstat, the increase in airline ticket prices accelerated sharply at the beginning of this year.
Photo: Nikolay OBEREMCHENKO
Are you planning to fly somewhere? Then listen. According to Rosstat, the increase in airline ticket prices accelerated sharply at the beginning of this year. In January, flying in economy class cost on average 34% more than the previous year. And in February, already 42% in annual terms. The numbers are impressive and the acceleration is obvious. By the way, a long-distance train trip, according to the same data, this February cost 27% more than last year.
Are you preparing to stay home? Or is it not as scary as you might think to look at these numbers?
To begin with, let’s put aside the panic: now air tickets are on average cheaper than in December during the New Year holidays. And even cheaper than in the middle of summer, in July. This follows from the data of the same Rosstat (see “Only numbers”). That is, compared to the high season, tickets are even cheaper, as is usually the case. And they become more expensive precisely on an annual basis: in addition to the same month of the previous year. And now this is happening at a faster pace than usual. If in the “high season”, in July-August, plane tickets cost 14-18% more than in the same months of the previous year, in October (it is no longer the season) – by 39%, and in February (also not the same active time for traveling) – by 42%.
– Rosstat data is still a very average temperature in the hospital. Even within the economy class, the cost of a ticket for the same flight can be very different, depending on the fare, the time of ticket purchase, etc., explains the aviation expert and editor-in-chief of the Avia.ru portal. Roman Gusarov. – Some doubts also arise about Rosstat’s calculation methodology: per 1,000 km of travel, because the cost of a flight per passenger kilometer on shorter flights is higher than on longer ones. There are also destinations where part of the ticket price is subsidized by the State. In other words, I wouldn’t scare people by saying that this spring they will have to pay 40% more for a plane ticket than last spring. In a specific case, especially if the ticket is purchased well in advance or through an airline promotion, everything can be much less scary. As for forecasts, industry statistics on airline revenues and average checks are coming soon; They are more revealing and I would prefer to draw conclusions based on them.
However, according to the expert, there are preconditions for an increase in air ticket prices:
– For three rather difficult years, air ticket prices have practically not increased. 2020 and 2021: there was a pandemic, rates increased very imperceptibly due to the drop in traffic. In 2022, the industry was literally flooded with subsidies and, thanks to this, prices also remained stable. But during all this time fuel, airport services, repairs and everything, everything else became more expensive. In 2023, the previous volume of state subsidies no longer existed and a delay in the increase in air ticket prices began. And continues.
ONLY NUMBERS
This is how the average prices of airline tickets in economy class changed
(per 1000 km of track)
Price change to the same month of the previous year
February 2023 5586 rub. +19%
March 2023 5,992 rubles +20%
April 2023 6336 rub. +9%
May 2023 6972 rub. +27%
June 2023 7,439 rubles +27%
July 2023 7,639 rubles +14%
August 2023 6,556 rubles +18%
September 2023 6202 rub. +25%
October 2023 6830 rub. +39%
November 2023 7353 rub. +30%
December 2023 7600 rub. +24%
January 2024 6456 rub. +34%
February 2024 7244 rub. +42%
(Rosstat data)
