Updated 05:13 IST, January 28th 2025
Central Govt Takes Notice Of High Airfare In Flights To Prayagraj Mahakumbh, Directs Airlines To Lower Prices
The Civil Aviation Ministry has taken notice of the exorbitant airfare prices to Prayagraj, where the Mahakumbh festival is currently underway.

Prayagraj: The Civil Aviation Ministry has taken notice of the exorbitant airfare prices to Prayagraj, where the Mahakumbh festival is currently underway. Amidst reports of high airfares on the flights bound for Prayagraj, the ministry has directed airlines to lower their prices for Prayagraj flights. The central government stated that the Civil Aviation Ministry's move aims to make air travel more affordable for pilgrims and tourists attending the Mahakumbh Mela.
The Union Ministry's intervention comes after numerous complaints about inflated airfare prices were received.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has instructed airlines to review their pricing and reduce fares to make them more reasonable. The Ministry's decision is expected to provide relief to thousands of devotees planning to visit Prayagraj during the festival.
The Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj has been attracting crores of pilgrims from across the country and abroad. The festival at Prayagraj Triveni Sangam is in full swing, and the reduced airfare prices will undoubtedly be a welcome move for the devotees.
According to government officials, 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.
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 launching 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.
The airfares for Prayagraj flights have indeed been rising and the surging prices should be curtailed as they affect tourism and are detrimental to not only domestic but also inbound travellers, Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson of Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, said.
Mayal had also served as President of the Travel Agents Association of India.
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.
According to the ministry's release, passenger comfort saw notable improvements with the addition of lounges, a child care room and an increase in the number of boarding bridges to 6 at the Prayagraj airport.
"F&B counters were increased, complemented by the UDAN Yatri Cafe for affordable food," the release said.
The Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will conclude on February 26.
(With PTI inputs)
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Published 19:41 IST, January 27th 2025