Raghav Chadha Says Airlines 'Fleecing' Maha Kumbh Pilgrims, Urges Action

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha appealed to the government stop the arbitrary pricing of air fares, a day after an uproar over flights to Prayagraj costing Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000.

Mr Chadha accused airlines of taking advantage of Mahakumbh devotees by charging exorbitant flight fares to Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh festival is underway. While calling the service of devotees "the biggest religion", the leader said in a video on social media called for their fair treatment. He urged the government to intervene and cap flight prices, making travel affordable for devotees.

"Mahakumbh is the largest spiritual and faith event for Sanatan Dharma. After 144 years, this grand Mahakumbh is being celebrated in Prayagraj, attracting millions of devotees from around the world who wish to take a holy dip and engage in 'sadhana' and 'tapasya.' However, it is disheartening to see some airlines exploiting this occasion by significantly hiking flight fares. While the usual flight ticket to Prayagraj costs around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, devotees are now facing charges of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. This profiteering has left many devotees disheartened," he stated.

The prices of Air-Tickets to Prayagraj have soared to unusually high levels compared to ordinary days. On behalf of all the devotees who wish to undertake the pilgrimage to the Maha Kumbh, I urge the Union Government to intervene and stop airlines from charging exorbitant fees,… pic.twitter.com/x9A9zH8CcX

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) January 28, 2025

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to increase capacity and rationalise fares for flights to Prayagraj during the ongoing Mahakumbh on Monday.

To address the issue, the DGCA met with airlines on January 23, urging them to add more flights and rationalise fares. As a result, 81 additional flights have been approved for January, bringing the total number of flights to Prayagraj to 132 from across India.

"In view of likely surge in demand, DGCA met airlines on January 23 and urged them to increase further capacity by adding flights and rationalising fares," DGCA said.

On January 24, SpiceJet announced the addition of special flights to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh by introducing new direct flights from Guwahati, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

On January 25, Akasa Air, ramped up its connectivity to Prayagraj with special flights from Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru via Delhi, in addition to its daily direct services from Mumbai.

Mr Chadha's appeals comes a day after the civil aviation ministry on Monday said steps are being taken to rationalise airfares for flights to Prayagraj and the number of flights has been increased to cater to the rising traffic demand in view of the Maha Kumbh.

Currently, there are 132 flights operating with approximately 80,000 monthly seats to Prayagraj from various Indian cities. Prayagraj is connected directly with 17 cities as against eight cities in December 2024. Further, the ministry said the addition of these flights is expected to ease the pressure on airfares and improve overall accessibility for devotees and tourists.

Akasa Air will start flights on January 28 and 29 to Prayagraj from Ahmedabad. In February, the airline plans to operate 9 flights from Ahmedabad and 12 flights from Bengaluru to Prayagraj, adding around 4,000 seats. SpiceJet will commence launch flights to Prayagraj from Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad. This will add about 43,000 seats in February, as per the release.

Since the beginning of Maha Kumbh on January 13, 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. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26.

Chadha had earlier raised the issue of overpriced food at airports, prompting the Centre to open affordable UDAN Yatri Cafes.