Global airfares have risen by as much as 149-150 percent because of the West Asian conflict, and SriLankan Airlines is consolidating routes, extending flight times and curtailing cargo to manage the shock, Corporate Communications Chief Deepal Perera told the Sunday Times.
A Colombo-Chennai ticket that typically cost around Rs. 50,000 now sells for Rs. 134,000 on Air India, Rs. 86,000 on SriLankan and Rs. 70,000 on IndiGo, the cheapest option.
“Due to the West Asian conflict, international prices have gone up drastically. This is not unique to us. Airlines globally are facing the same issue,” Perera said.
Jet fuel accounts for the biggest share of the increase, with insurance premiums and rerouted airspace adding further costs. SriLankan’s flights to London now take about two hours longer than before the conflict, pushing up fuel burn and operational expenditure.
Leisure travel demand has softened as prices have climbed, with the airline reporting that travel is increasingly necessity-driven. SriLankan is consolidating flights on low-demand routes and raising frequency to destinations showing stronger traffic. “In some cases, if passenger numbers are insufficient, we combine flights to avoid losses. At the same time, we are increasing capacity where demand is high,” Perera said.
Cargo operations have also been squeezed by longer routes. “When we carry more fuel, we have to curtail cargo. However, we are seeing increased demand for cargo services to destinations like the Maldives and Bangladesh,” he added.
The cost pressures echo warnings from European carriers who urged EU intervention on jet fuel and reports that Sri Lanka’s airport traffic has fallen more than 30 percent since the crisis began.
