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 the Delhi-Prayagraj flights.
Photograph: Ritesh Shukla/Reuters
According to an analysis by travel portal ixigo, the one-way airfare between Bhopal and Prayagraj has surged the maximum at 498 per cent to Rs 17,796 from Rs 2,977 last year.
These are one-way average fares on 30 days APD (advanced purchase date) basis for the January 13 to February 26, 2025, compared to the year-ago period.
While the airfare from Delhi to Prayagraj has risen 21 per cent to Rs 5,748, the jump is 13 per cent to Rs 6,381 for the Mumbai-Prayagraj flight.
The rise in the air ticket price is 89 per cent for the Bengaluru-Prayagraj service to Rs 11,158 while the increase is 41 per cent to Rs 10,364 for the Ahmedabad-Prayagraj flight, as per the analysis.
For the flights to Lucknow and Varanasi, cities that are near Prayagraj where the Maha Kumbh is happening, airfares have gone up in the range of 3 to 21 per cent.
On a year-on-year basis, flight bookings to Prayagraj have jumped 162 per cent while the bookings to Lucknow and Varanasi have increased 42 per cent and 127 per cent, respectively.
The figures are for the January 13 to February 26 period, the analysis showed.
ixigo said that Prayagraj is now connected to over 20 destinations through direct and one-stop flights, compared to just one from Delhi during the last Maha Kumbh.
The Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will conclude on February 26.
“One-way airfares from major metros to Prayagraj and surrounding airports are averaging between Rs 7,000-10,000 if booked 30 days in advance. However, on certain routes like Bhopal-Prayagraj, fares are reaching up to Rs 17,000 one way due to peak demand and limited flight availability,” ixigo Group CEO Aloke Bajpai said.
Fares are also trending higher for travel before key ‘snan’ dates. For example, fares for January 27 from key metros like Mumbai are going as high as Rs 27,000 one-way for non-stop flights.
Bookings for trains to Prayagraj have also jumped for the January 13 to February 26 period.
The present edition of the Kumbh is being held after 12 years, though seers claim the celestial permutations and combinations for the event are taking place after 144 years, making the occasion even more auspicious.
