New Delhi: Govt has directed airlines to add flights to Prayagraj in the wake of airfares surging around the ongoing Maha KumbhThe important dates of SNAN – January 29 and February 3, 4, 12 and 26. After a TOI story showing return airfares to Prayagraj around these dates from several other cities had touched or even crossed Rs 50,000, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Monday “Advised airlines to ensure sufficient capacity to accommodate passengers.”
Accordingly, the Ministry of Aviation said in a statement on Monday, Akasa will operate flights on January 28 and 29, from Ahmedabad. Next month, the airline “plans to operate nine flights from Ahmedabad and 12 from Bengaluru to Prayagraj, adding around 4,000 seats.” SpiceJet “will launch flights between Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad to Prayagraj, adding around 43,000 seats in February,” the statement said.
The UP government says that more than 13 million people have realized it during the Maha Kumbh that began on January 13. Given the numbers, airfares have increased not only to Prajaygaj but also to other nearby airports like Varanasi. “Kolkata-Varanasi airfares are usually Rs 3,000-4,000, but currently it is around Rs 25,000. Mumbai-Varanasi is up from the usual Rs 5-6,000 to around Rs 13,000,” said a Mumbai-based devotee who is planning a trip to the Kumbh.
The ministry said, “The new flights are part of ongoing efforts to ensure regional connectivity and accommodate the influx of travelers to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh period. The addition of these flights is expected to ease pressure on airfares and improve general accessibility for devotees and tourists.”
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“To facilitate the holy journey, an additional 81 new flights have been introduced in the January 2025 schedule. Currently, 132 flights are operating with around 80,000 monthly seats for Prayagraj from across India. Prayagraj as of now is directly connected to 17 cities across India as against eight cities last month. With direct and connecting flights reaching 26 cities including Srinagar and Visakhapatnam; Prayagraj is now a well-connected center for devotees,” the ministry statement said.
“During Maha Kumbh, the airport witnessed 30,172 passengers and operated 226 flights in just a week, surpassing 5,000 passengers in a single day for the first time. “Night flights were also introduced, allowing 24/7 connectivity for the first time in 106 years,” he added. For the Maha Kumbh, the terminal capacity of Prayagraj airport was improved.