CIVIL AVIATION minister K Ram Mohan Naidu has announced that the airfare for passengers travelling to Prayagraj to attend the Kumbh Mela will come down by 50 per cent, according to NDTV.
In an exclusive interview with the TV channel he said the reduced fares will come into effect from February 1.
Airfares for the flights to Prayagraj have been on the rise in view of the Maha Kumbh, which commenced on January 13 and will conclude on February 26.
On January 25, Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi wrote a letter to Naidu about complaints regarding exorbitant airfares for Prayagraj flights.
"Significant increase in travel demand has led to exorbitantly high airfare prices for flights to Prayagraj from different parts of the country, which has made it difficult for the devotees to plan air travel to Maha Kumbh.
"I shall be grateful if you could kindly look into the matter considering the consumer interest and do the needful," Joshi said in the letter.
The government subsequently held three meetings with airline companies before implementing the fare reduction.
Akasa Air
Akasa Air has reduced ticket prices for flights to Prayagraj by 30-45 per cent and increased the number of flights to the city.
On Wednesday, the civil aviation ministry asked airlines to increase flights and maintain reasonable airfares for Prayagraj flights.
In a release on Thursday (30), Akasa Air said it has ramped up connectivity to Prayagraj with special flights from Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru.
This is in addition to the daily direct services from Mumbai and Delhi.
The sources said Akasa Air has reduced ticket prices for Prayagraj flights by 30-45 per cent.
As per the airline's website, a ticket for the Pune-Prayagraj flight on February 19 is a little over ₹28,000.
Air India
Meanwhile, Air India on Thursday (30) said it has added more flights to Prayagraj.
"Effective 01 February 2025, Air India will operate a second daily service between Delhi and Prayagraj until 28 February 2025. Air India has also added special daily services between Mumbai and Prayagraj that will operate until 28 February 2025," the airline said in a release.
With these additions, Air India will operate 21x weekly flights to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh.
Air India Express will commence daily direct flights between Delhi and Varanasi from February 5.
"Additionally, Bengaluru–Varanasi flights will increase from three to four per day, while Hyderabad–Varanasi, which already operates daily, will see the addition of thirty more flights in February and March, providing more travel options for pilgrims and visitors," the carrier said in a release. (Agencies)
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