Airlines will cut airfare for flights to Prayagraj for Mahakumbh devotees from Saturday, February 1, civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said.
He said the government has already directed airlines to cut ticket prices, adding that three meetings were held with airline companies before implementing the fare reduction.
In an exclusive interview , Ram Mohan Naidu said the airlines were reminded that such a grand event (Mahakumbh) happens once in 140 years and they must be mindful of its significance.
At the same time, the civil aviation minister said, the government has ensured that airlines do not suffer financial losses due to the reduction.
This comes days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) called on airlines to ‘rationalise fares’ to Prayagraj after it skyrocketed to over ₹50,000.
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,” DGCA said in an X post on January 25.
For January, DGCA also approved 81 additional flights to meet the increased demand. With this, the number of flights operating to and from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj increased to 132.
According to a survey by Local Cirlces, a significant number of consumers have voiced dissatisfaction over airlines profiting during the Mahakumbh 2025, with fares being charged at 3-6 times the normal rates.
New Delhi to Prayagraj: ₹10,000 – ₹12,000
Kolkata to Prayagraj: ₹12,000— ₹20,000. The airfare dropped sharply on February 6, costing just ₹9,000 on Thursday.
Mumbai to Prayagraj: ₹14,000 – ₹21,000
Bengaluru to Prayagraj: ₹18,000 – ₹22,000
Chennai to Prayagraj: ₹18,000 – ₹22,000
The survey revealed that 8 out of 10 airline passengers have paid excessively high fares (1.5 times the standard fare) at least once in the past year.