Maha Kumbh: Government Nudges Airlines To Add More Flights, Ease Fares For Prayagraj

The government has directed airlines to fly more flights to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and ease fares following a multifold jump in ticket prices amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh, which will continue until February 26.

The average fare for a one-way ticket between January 28 and February 4, 2025, has surged 4-5 times due to high demand, not just for Prayagraj but other nearby airports too like Varanasi and Lucknow. A one-trip ticket from major cities including Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai as well as smaller ones such as Jaipur and Bhopal, to Prayagraj is currently priced between Rs 19,000 and Rs 40,000 as against the usual fare of around Rs 4,000-8,000.

Travel portals like MakeMyTrip and ixigo show Chennai-Prayagraj return tickets for February 26, which coincides with Maha Shivratri, costing upwards of Rs 41,000. Similarly, same day return ticket for flights connecting Kolkata, Lucknow, Jaipur to Prayagraj is costing over Rs 31,000, and the same for Hyderabad was starting at Rs 49,000 as on Jan 28.

Rise in fares is a result of demand-supply mismatch, and the government generally refrains from regulating prices. However, the government has advised against arbitrary hikes in fares. Both the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation held high-level meetings with major airlines including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet and Akasa Air operating to Prayagraj, and directed them to “rationalise” airfares. The airlines were also asked to add more capacity, especially during the forthcoming 'snan' days — Jan 29 and Feb 3, 4, 12 and 26 — to accommodate more passengers.

As many as 81 additional new flights were introduced in January 2025, taking the total to 132 flights with a capacity of 80,000 monthly seats.

With these additions, Prayagraj is now directly connected to 17 cities, including new destinations like Srinagar and Visakhapatnam as against just eight cities last month, and has indirect connectivity to 26 cities.

In a statement, the ministry stated that Akasa Air will launch flights from Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, adding 4,000 seats in February. Meanwhile, SpiceJet is introducing services from major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai, and Hyderabad, contributing an additional 43,000 seats. IndiGo and Air India are also operating special flights to the holy city.

"These new flights are part of the ongoing efforts to ensure regional connectivity and accommodate the influx of travelers to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh period," according to the ministry. "The addition of these flights is expected to ease the pressure on airfares and improve overall accessibility for devotees and tourists."

The mega congregation is expected to draw over 45 crore pilgrims.

According to the ministry, the otherwise-idle 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, during Maha Kumbh. Night flights were also introduced, enabling 24x7 connectivity for the first time in 106 years. The airport terminal area has been upgraded to manage 1,650 passengers per hour.