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Maha Kumbh: Prayagraj Airfares Surge to Rs. 50,000 Before ‘Mauni Amavasya’

Airfares to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh Mela have surged up to 600%, prompting DGCA intervention. Additional flights have been approved to accommodate the demand. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu is reviewing the situation for more accessible pricing.

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Maha Kumbh: Prayagraj Airfares Surge to Rs. 50,000 Before ‘Mauni Amavasya’

Airfares to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, have skyrocketed by about 600% as the Maha Kumbh Mela continues. Ticket prices have skyrocketed ahead of the key bathing day of ‘Mauni Amavasya’ on January 29. Air travel for the Delhi-Prayagraj route has risen to over Rs. 21,000 for one-way tickets, while Mumbai-Prayagraj tickets range between Rs. 22,000 and Rs. 60,000. Pilgrims from Bengaluru are paying between Rs. 26,000 and Rs. 48,000 for a direct one-way ticket. Normally, these tickets would cost around Rs. 5,000.

Ever since the airfares went up, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has begun to step in. The DGCA asked airlines to rationalize the pricing of flights going to Prayagraj. Further, it allowed 81 additional flights for January alone, bringing the total of air connectivity to 132 flights from various cities in India to cater to the Maha Kumbh. Airlines claim that they are somehow compliant with the laws of demand and supply, but critics claim that it is a form of profiteering.

Since January 13, over 12 crore people have visited Maha Kumbh; the UP government expects it will keep climbing during the remainder of the festival to its culmination date on February 26. Yesterday, more than 1.17 crore people took the holy dip in the Sangam.”

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, earlier did say the concern, “I really want to delve into this issue (and) how to make them a little more accessible, available for the people of this country.”