NEW DELHI: Govt has directed airlines to add flights to Prayagraj in the wake of airfares surging around the ongoing Maha Kumbh’s important snan dates — Jan 29 and Feb 3, 4, 12 & 26. Following 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 aviation ministry said in a statement Monday, Akasa will operate flights on Jan 28 and 29, from Ahmedabad. Next month, the airline “plans to operate nine flights from Ahmedabad and 12 from Bangalore to Prayagraj adding about 4,000 seats.” SpiceJet “is set to launch flights between Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad to Prayagraj, adding about 43,000 seats in Feb,” the statement says.
The UP Govt says over 13 crore people have taken the dip during the Maha Kumbh that started on Jan 13. Given the sheer numbers, airfares have surged not just to Prajaygaj but other nearby airports too like Varanasi. “Kolkata-Varanasi airfares is usually Rs 3,000-4,000 but currently is about Rs 25,000. Mumbai-Varanasi is up from the usual Rs 5-6,000 to about 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 travellers to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh period. The addition of these flights is expected to ease the pressure on airfares and improve overall accessibility for devotees and tourists.”
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“To facilitate the sacred journey, 81 additional new flights were introduced in Jan 2025 schedule. Currently, 132 flights operate with about 80,000 monthly seats to Prayagraj from across India. Prayagraj as of now is connected directly with 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 hub for devotees,” the ministry statement said.
“During Maha Kumbh, the 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 were also introduced, enabling 24/7 connectivity for the first time in 106 years,” it added. For the Maha Kumbh, Prayagraj Airport terminal capacity was enhanced.
