• Source:JND
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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Tuesday slammed the airlines for charging heavy prices for tickets to Prayagraj amid the ongoing Mahakumbh Mela 2025. Highlighting the issue, Chadha mentioned that the flights that would normally cost between Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, are now charging Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 from the passengers.

The AAP leader also sought intervention from Centre for the same to ensure fair treatment for devotees. He emphasised that the Mahakumbh is a sacred event, and it's unacceptable for airlines to profiteer from devotees' spiritual journeys.

"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 Rs5,000 to Rs8,000, devotees are now facing charges of Rs50,000 to Rs60,000. This profiteering has left many devotees disheartened. Such actions by airlines are unacceptable, and I urge the government to intervene and cap flight prices to ensure fair treatment for devotees," said Chadha.

This isn't the first time Chadha has pointed out unfair practices. In the past, he drew attention to the high prices of food at airport canteens, which resulted in the introduction of more affordable choices for travelers.

"When we brought up the issue of overpriced food at airports in Parliament, the government took action, leading to the introduction of affordable canteen options for passengers. Similarly, I am hopeful that our current request will reach the authorities, ensuring that devotees travelling to the Mahakumbh are provided with reasonably priced flight tickets," he added.

Not only the AAP leader but the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also raised concern over the expensive flight charges. "While Indian Railways has expanded its services for passengers and kept fares reasonable, some airline companies are earning unfair money because of the surge in passengers. This is not a time to exploit devotees but an opportunity to showcase dedication and hospitality," Vindod Bansal said.

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.

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