August air fare rise 'second biggest for two decades', says ONS

Inflation figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show fares rose by 22.2% between July and August 2024, making them the biggest factor in transport inflation overall.

“Fares usually rise between these months," said the ONS. "But this was the second largest such rise since the monthly collection of prices began in 2001. The increase came principally from European routes.”

The ONS added: “A year ago, air fares fell by 2.1% between July and August 2023. This was only the second time fares had fallen between these months – the other occasion was in 2020 when price movements were affected by the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.”