Maha Kumbh: Government plans to rationalise airfares for Prayagraj

Number of flights increased to accommodate the influx of travellers to the Kumbh mela, says Civil Aviation Ministry

New Delhi: The Civil Aviation Ministry on Monday said steps are being taken to rationalise airfares for flights to Prayagraj and the number of flights has been increased to cater to the rising traffic demand in view of the Maha Kumbh.

Amid concerns over surging airfares for the flights to Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh will be on till February 26, officials of aviation regulator DGCA held a meeting with airline representatives last week and urged them to add more flights and rationalise the ticket prices.

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Currently, there are 132 flights operating with approximately 80,000 monthly seats to Prayagraj from various Indian cities. Prayagraj is connected directly with 17 cities against 8 cities in December 2024. In a release, the ministry said that with direct and connecting flights reaching 26 cities, including Srinagar and Visakhapatnam, Prayagraj is now a well-connected hub for devotees.

According to the ministry, the new flights are part of the ongoing efforts to ensure regional connectivity and accommodate the influx of travellers to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh period. Further, the ministry said the addition of these flights is expected to ease the pressure on airfares and improve overall accessibility for devotees and tourists.

“As per the directions of Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu to ensure that airfares remain in check as the festival’s peak days approach, especially during the forthcoming Shahi Sanan on January 29th, February 3rd, and other important Sanan on February 4th, February 12th, and February 26th, 2025; DGCA has advised airlines to ensure sufficient capacity to accommodate passengers,” the release said.

Under current norms, airfares are deregulated and are not controlled by the government. Akasa Air will start flights on January 28 and 29 to Prayagraj from Ahmedabad. In February, the airline plans to operate 9 flights from Ahmedabad and 12 flights from Bengaluru to Prayagraj, adding around 4,000 seats. SpiceJet will commence launch flights to Prayagraj from Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad. This will add about 43,000 seats in February, as per the release.

For the ongoing Maha Kumbh, the Prayagraj airport witnessed 30,172 passengers and operated 226 flights in just one week, surpassing 5,000 passengers in a single day for the first time. Night flights have also been introduced. Earlier this month, travel portal ixigo said that bookings as well as airfares for flights to Prayagraj have jumped multi-fold as more people travel for the Maha Kumbh, with the air ticket prices rising up to 21 per cent for the Delhi-Prayagraj flights. The Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will conclude on February 26.