Image used for representational purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Centre on Wednesday (January 29, 2025) urged airlines to maintain “reasonable fares” for devotees making their way to Prayagraj for the ongoing Maha Kumbh. IndiGo said it has slashed down ticket prices by 30% to 50% on flights to and from the pilgrim city.

Follow Maha Kumbh LIVE updates here

Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu held a meeting with airline representatives “to review adequacy of air connectivity to Prayagraj from across the country while maintaining reasonable fares during the once in 144 years Maha Kumbh Mahotsav,” the Ministry posted on X.

Earlier this week, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed that airlines had raised airfares for flights to Prayagraj by 200% to 700% and called this an “unfair and unethical” practice which was inconveniencing devotees.

Also read | Maha Kumbh 2025: VHP flags ‘exorbitant hike’ in fare for Prayagraj flights, seeks govt intervention

“We have reduced airfares on all routes to and from Prayagraj by 30-50%,” a spokesperson of IndiGo said.

Earlier this week, the Ministry said that airlines had also been asked to mount more flights and 132 flights were added to Prayagraj in the month of January, which would be followed by more flights in the months to come including Akasa adding 21 flights from Ahmedabad and Bengaluru as well as SpiceJet adding flight from Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad.

Image used for representational purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Centre on Wednesday (January 29, 2025) urged airlines to maintain “reasonable fares” for devotees making their way to Prayagraj for the ongoing Maha Kumbh. IndiGo said it has slashed down ticket prices by 30% to 50% on flights to and from the pilgrim city.

Follow Maha Kumbh LIVE updates here

Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu held a meeting with airline representatives “to review adequacy of air connectivity to Prayagraj from across the country while maintaining reasonable fares during the once in 144 years Maha Kumbh Mahotsav,” the Ministry posted on X.

Earlier this week, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed that airlines had raised airfares for flights to Prayagraj by 200% to 700% and called this an “unfair and unethical” practice which was inconveniencing devotees.

Also read | Maha Kumbh 2025: VHP flags ‘exorbitant hike’ in fare for Prayagraj flights, seeks govt intervention

“We have reduced airfares on all routes to and from Prayagraj by 30-50%,” a spokesperson of IndiGo said.

Earlier this week, the Ministry said that airlines had also been asked to mount more flights and 132 flights were added to Prayagraj in the month of January, which would be followed by more flights in the months to come including Akasa adding 21 flights from Ahmedabad and Bengaluru as well as SpiceJet adding flight from Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad.

New Delhi:

Aviation watchdog DGCA has asked airlines to rationalise airfares for flights to Prayagraj in view of the Maha Kumbh amid concerns over higher air tickets on the route.

Airlines, including SpiceJet, are operating more flights to Prayagraj.

To meet increased demand for air travel, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved 81 additional flights in January, increasing the air connectivity to Prayagraj to 132 flights from across the country.

In a post on X on Saturday, the regulator said that in view of the likely surge in demand, airlines have been urged to increase further capacity by adding flights and rationalise fares.

DGCA officials held a meeting with airline representatives on January 23 in this regard.

Bookings as well as airfares for flights to Prayagraj have jumped multi-fold as more people travel for the Maha Kumbh, with the air ticket prices rising up to 21 per cent for the Delhi-Prayagraj flights, an analysis by travel portal Ixigo showed earlier this month.

The Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will conclude on February 26.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)