The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) held a meeting on January 23 with officials from airline companies to discuss airfares in light of the Maha Kumbh, as many devotees are expected to travel to Prayagraj for the ‘Shahi Snan’ on Mauni Amavasya (January 29) and Basant Panchami (February 3). The DGCA urged airlines to increase capacity and reduce airfares to the holy city. However, devotees will have to pay significantly higher fares to reach the city, indicating that airlines are unwilling to lower the prices.

The airline portals show that if a passenger wants to fly on Mauni Amavasya, the fare from Chennai to Prayagraj will be Rs 53,000. Similarly, the return ticket from Kolkata to Prayagraj is priced at Rs 35,500. Passengers from Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad will have to pay over Rs 47,500, while a devotee from Bengaluru will pay more than Rs 51,000.

The airline portals show high ticket fares for other ‘Shahi Snan’ dates, including February 3 (Basant Panchami), Maghi Poornima (February 12), and Mahashivratri (February 26). Passengers will have to pay over Rs 33,000 for a return ticket from Delhi to Prayagraj on February 14. Similarly, passengers from Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata will pay more than Rs 40,000 for tickets, while those from Mumbai and Bengaluru will have to shell out over Rs 45,000.

The DGCA had urged all airlines to enhance the capacity and rationalise the fares but it seems airlines are unwilling to pass up the opportunity.