Govt calls meeting with airlines as Prayagraj airfares surge

Union aviation secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam has called for an urgent meeting with airlines on Monday in wake of the shap surge in Prayagraj airfares during the ongoing Maha Kumbh. TOI reported Monday that airfares to Prayagraj have skyrocketed ahead of the Jan 29 Mauni Amavasya snan (royal bath). Travel portals show Chennai-Prayagraj return tickets for Jan 28 & back two days later are costing upwards of INR 53,000. A return trip from nearby Kolkata on these dates is costing over INR 35,500; from Hyderabad/Mumbai/Delhi is over INR 47,500 and from Bengaluru is INR 51,000 plus.

Govt is likely to seek a break-up from airlines on how many tickets have been sold at what price brackets. “Most Prayagraj flights are sold out and the remaining last few seats are going for the highest bracket. To meet increased demand, DGCA had approved 81 additional flights in January raising Prayagraj connectivity to 132 flights from across India,” said sources.

But the demand is such that it far outstripped the supply. As a result, a similar surge in seen around the three remaining important snan dates — Feb 3 (Basant Panchmi); Feb 12 (Maghi Purnima) and Feb 26 (Maha Shivratri & concluding day of the Maha Kumbh). Return fares to Prayagraj for Feb 14 and return two days later is costing upwards of INR 33,000 from Delhi; over INR 40,000 from Hyderabad/Chennai/Kolkata and over INR 45,000 from Mumbai/Bengaluru.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had on Jan 23 met airlines and had “urged them to increase further capacity by adding flights and rationalise fares”in view of the travel demand.