DGCA steps in to regulate soaring Prayagraj airfares

Passengers stranded at Mumbai airport on Monday, after their Mumbai-Darbhanga flight was cancelled twice in three days

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has advised airlines to "rationalise airfares" to Prayagraj and has approved an additional 81 flights to regulate the surge in airfares during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.

A one-way ticket from Mumbai to Prayagraj's Bamrauli Airport costs at least R30,000, and from other metro cities the fare is currently around R50,000 or more.
Ajay Prakash, owner of Nomad Travels and president of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), said, "The demand for Prayagraj is such that if one books a non-stop flight from Mumbai to Prayagraj for any date in February, one will have to pay R30,000 one way."

Similarly, Anuj Rathi, chief business and growth officer of ‘Cleartrip', said, "The highest airfares to Prayagraj were recorded on routes from Jaipur, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Kochi, and Mumbai."

According to an official statement from DGCA, the aviation authority's approval of 81 additional flights has increased connectivity with 132 flights to Prayagraj from across India."

"The addition of these flights is expected to ease the pressure on airfares and improve overall accessibility for devotees and tourists," the statement read. Officials from the aviation ministry also disclosed that Naidu had conducted an internal meeting to discuss the issue of airfares before leaving for Davos to be a part of the World Economy Forum (WEF).

A MoCA analyst told mid-day, "To be clear on the issue, the government is not deciding airfares. Airfares are not subject to regulation by the government and airlines have the flexibility to determine their airfares based on their operational needs, while adhering to Rule 135 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937. It is just that DGCA has permitted additional flights to Prayagraj which will reduce the stress on the existing network and help in reducing the airfares which are naturally interconnected with the demand on the route."

Meanwhile, passengers travelling to Prayagraj are opting to fly to Darbhanga and then travel by road to Prayagraj due to the surge in the airfares in the sector. Nishit Thoriya, a passenger on a Mumbai- Darbhanga flight, told mid-day: "Most of the passengers on this flight are going to the Maha Kumbh Mela. Since the flight tickets to Prayagraj are costly, most of the passengers choose to reach Darbhanga by flight and then to Prayagraj by road."

Rs 30,000
Minimum one-way fare from Mumbai to Prayagraj

Rs 50,000
Minimum one-way fare from Delhi, Chennai to Prayagraj

SpiceJet flight cancelled twice in three days

Passengers on SpiceJet flight SG950 (Mumbai to Darbhanga) were stranded in Mumbai for four days. Originally scheduled to travel to Darbhanga on Saturday, the flight was cancelled. These passengers were given a replacement ticket for SG950 which was scheduled to take off from Mumbai on Monday. However, SG950 on Monday was also cancelled.

A passenger told mid-day, "Due to high ticket prices on the Mumbai-Prayagraj route, we opted for the Darbhanga flight and planned to travel to Prayagraj via road. What is the use of a refund? The airfares are soaring and we will not be able to book flight tickets at the same rate we had booked earlier. We have been stranded by the airline for the past four days. We just demand that the airline arrange another flight to make us reach Darbhanga."

A SpiceJet spokesperson, told mid-day, "SpiceJet flight SG950 from Mumbai to Darbhanga on January 25 was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in Darbhanga. Passengers affected were offered options for a full refund or rescheduling on the next available flight. Monday's Mumbai-Darbhanga flight was also cancelled due to continued bad weather in Darbhanga. We are accommodating all affected passengers on subsequent flights or providing a full refund, as per their preference."

On Tuesday, around five stranded passengers reached Darbhanga after cancelling their original tickets and booking fresh ones at hiked prices. Several passengers were forced to cancel their trip and were waiting for a refund while some continued to wait for a rescheduled flight.