Patna, Nov. 11: Kulbir Singh was looking forward to coming home on Diwali from Bangalore, but soaring airfares poured cold water on his plan.
A direct flight to Patna from the nation’s IT capital usually costs Rs 7,500-Rs 8,000. When the 26-year-old checked for air tickets to visit home at SK Nagar, he found the fare was Rs 24,540 — equivalent to the price of at least 7gm gold on Dhanteras.
The price of gold per gram was Rs 3,210 on Sunday.
As thousands working outside Patna are rushing home on Diwali, the airfares have surged north and beyond many pockets.
Travel agents pegged the astronomical airfares on the lack of seats on direct flights to Patna. A seat on Calcutta-Patna flights normally comes for Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000. With two days left for Diwali, the airfare on the same route (via Mumbai and New Delhi) has touched Rs 55,725.
Raman Jha, the co-owner of Super Travels, Patna, said: “No seats are available in any of the direct flights coming to Patna from Calcutta, Mumbai and Delhi till November 12. Now, bookings are being made only on the connecting flights. That is why the airfares are abnormally high right now.”
Raman’s claim was not far off the mark. The story was the same for flights from any city to the state capital.
The upper limit of ticket on the New Delhi-Patna route on Sunday was Rs 44,589. While this flight was via Mumbai and Calcutta, a seat on the direct New Delhi-Patna flights are usually available for Rs 4,500-Rs 5,000.
Upper limit for a seat on the Mumbai-Patna route (via New Delhi and Calcutta) on Sunday was Rs 72,522. The usual rate is far less at Rs 8,500- Rs 9,000.
Taken aback by the sky high price of tickets, several fliers had to drop their homecoming plan.
Kulbir said: “As I got a few days of leave from office on Saturday, I decided to go home for Diwali. But when I checked for tickets, I was astonished. The airfare from Bangalore to Patna was Rs 24,540. If I would have taken the ticket, I would have been left with no money to celebrate Diwali with others.”
Tickets for Monday are no cheaper. The upper limit of a seat on the Calcutta-Patna route (via Bangalore and New Delhi) on Monday is Rs 39,327. Those who have to come from New Delhi will have to shell out Rs 42,082 and take a detour via Calcutta. Seats on the Mumbai-Patna route (via New Delhi and Calcutta) would come for Rs 57,757.
Aviation experts attributed the exorbitant airfares to the demand-supply gap. “This kind of trend in airfares is usual during peak flying seasons like now (Diwali). The demand for seats in flights is extremely high compared to their availability. Moreover, no regulation on airfares is practised in India,” said Mirza Faizan, a Bangalore-based aviation scientist and chief executive officer of Bangalore-based Avembsys Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Airport scuffle
Fliers scuffled with the ground staff of Air India at Patna airport after the airline’s afternoon Delhi-Patna-Delhi flight was delayed by three hours. The flight was scheduled to arrive at 3pm.
