New Delhi: The flight ticket prices to Prayagraj and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh have reportedly skyrocketed by 300% to 600% as crores of pilgrims have been flocking to take part in the planet’s largest religious gathering and take a dip in the Ganga river during the Mahakumbh 2025.
With airfares soaring, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) asked the airlines to rationalise the airfares and also deploy more planes for Mahakumbh. In view of the likely surge in demand, airlines have been urged to increase further capacity by adding flights and rationalise fares.
Travellers have been complaining about flight tickets to Prayagraj going North. In several instance round-trip tickets from Chennai-Prayagraj-Prayagraj for travel on January 28 and return on January 30 surpassed Rs 50,000. People coming to Mahakumbh from Kolkata during the same are reportedly paying Rs 35,500 for the roundtrip for a single plane ticket. It may be noted that
Devotees taking flights from Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai are reportedly paying over Rs 45,000 for roundtrips.
The airfares to Prayagraj have surged by approximately 600 per cent as crores of people are expected at Mahakumbh Mela on January 29 to take a dip on the occasion of ‘Mauni Amavasya’.
Mahakumbh: DGCA asks airlines to cap airfares
Taking note of the news reports, DGCA officials held a meeting with airline representatives on January 23 and asked them to meet increased demand for air travel to Prayag Raj during Mahakumbh. The regulator approved 81 additional flights in January, raising Prayagraj connectivity to 132 flights from across India
“In view of likely surge in demand, DG (CA) met airlines on 23 January 2025 and urged them to increase further capacity by adding flights and rationalize fares,” the DGCA posted on X.
Flight ticket prices to Prayagraj and Varanasi have skyrocketed by 300-600% due to the Mahakumbh 2025 pilgrimage. The DGCA intervened, urging airlines to add flights and rationalise fares to meet the increased demand. The travelers are reportedly paying exorbitant prices for round-trip tickets, exceeding Rs 50,000 in some cases. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
