At ₹1 lakh round trip, airfares skyrocket for Maha Kumbh

Though the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) urged airlines last week to rationalise fares on the Prayagraj route by adding more capacity, a look at spot airfares on the route throws up a contrasting picture.

- SWARAJ BAGGONKAR

While airlines have promptly added more flights, airfares on routes connecting Prayagraj to the rest of the country have skyrocketed to nearly ₹1 lakh for a round trip at a particular point in a day. But, later the fare moderated up to ₹50,000 on the same route. Several routes to the city have been fully sold out. The DGCA had met airlines on January 23.

Prayagraj Airport achieved a record-breaking feat during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, witnessing 30,172 passengers in just one week, operating 226 flights in seven days, and crossing a historic milestone of over 5,000 passengers in a single day, for the first time.