The airfare for flights to Prayagraj has skyrocketed due to high demand, as the city welcomes millions of devotees daily for the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. A one-way direct flight ticket on the SpiceJet route between Ahmedabad and Prayagraj, which typically costs around Rs 6,500, has surged to Rs 34,000 during this period. Connecting flights between the two cities are priced even higher, reaching Rs 50,000 on certain days.
In response to the soaring demand, IndiGo is set to launch a direct flight between Ahmedabad and Prayagraj later this month. Although this service will not operate daily, bookings have already commenced. The ticket price for this flight is Rs 6,000 on February 27, a day after the Kumbh Mela ends. However, during peak dates like January 28, the fare climbs to approximately Rs 30,000, nearly five times the usual rate.
Currently, Ahmedabad is the only city in Gujarat with a direct flight to Prayagraj. Other cities in the state, including Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot, rely on connecting flights to reach Prayagraj.
Fares from these cities are significantly higher. For instance, an Air India flight from Rajkot via Delhi on January 31 is priced at Rs 48,000, while the fastest flight from Surat on the same date, operated by IndiGo via Delhi, costs Rs 23,000. From Vadodara, fares range from Rs 18,000 to Rs 40,000 for January 31.
Pan-India Airfare Surge
The surge in airfare is not limited to Gujarat. Across India, flights to Prayagraj have seen sharp increases. A report indicates that the Bhopal-Prayagraj route has experienced the steepest rise, with fares up by 498% to Rs 17,796 from Rs 2,977 last year.
Bengaluru-Prayagraj fares have risen by 89% to Rs 11,158, while Delhi-Prayagraj and Mumbai-Prayagraj flights have seen increases of 21% and 13%, reaching Rs 5,748 and Rs 6,381, respectively.
Nearby cities such as Lucknow and Varanasi have also experienced airfare hikes of 3% to 21%.
Western Railway has added over 110 trains passing through Gujarat to Prayagraj and nearby destinations to address the increased demand. Despite this, all trains are running at full capacity. Sleeper class waiting lists exceed 110 in many cases, while air-conditioned classes have waiting lists of 20 to 50.
Faced with high airfares and fully booked trains, many devotees are opting to travel by road to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
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