Representative image of an airport
Credit: PTI Photo
In a major relief for those travelling to Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh, the Narendra Modi government has announced a cut in airfare by 50 per cent for passengers flying to the grand event.
In an interview with NDTV, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu announced the airfare reduction, which comes into effect from February 1.
The publication said that the decision was made after the government held three meetings with airline companies. The reduction in airfare was made considering the significance of the event for devotees and also ensuring that the flight companies do not incur losses, it said.
While the airline companies had already increased the number of flights to Prayagraj, the flight fare had also jumped significantly.
For the ongoing Maha Kumbh, the Prayagraj airport witnessed 30,172 passengers and operated 226 flights in just one week, surpassing 5,000 passengers in a single day for the first time. Night flights have also been introduced.
Earlier this month, travel portal ixigo said that 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 Delhi-Prayagraj flights.
According to the ministry's release, passenger comfort saw notable improvements with the addition of lounges, a child care room and increase in the number of boarding bridges to 6 at the Prayagraj airport.
Currently, there are 132 flights operating with about 80,000 monthly seats to Prayagraj from various Indian cities. Prayagraj is connected directly with 17 cities against eight in December 2024.
The ministry, on Monday, said Prayagraj is well connected with direct and connecting flights reaching 26 cities, including Srinagar and Visakhapatnam.
The Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will conclude on February 26.