Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu said that airfares for passengers traveling to the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 will be reduced by 50 percent, according to NDTV.
The minister said the new fares would come into effect from February 1. This decision came after three meetings between the government and airline companies, following which carriers were instructed to lower ticket prices.
Flight tickets to Prayagraj had skyrocketed due to the current Maha Kumbh. However, according to NDTV, the government has successfully avoided losses for airlines even as prices are decreased.
The DGCA had earlier asked the airlines to cap ticket rates to Prayagraj-bound flights after meeting with airline managements on 23rd January 2025.
To meet the surge in demand, the DGCA sanctioned 81 more flights in January. This brought the total number of flights to and from Prayagraj to 132. Still, airfares between Delhi and Prayagraj skyrocketed 21 times.
The Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will conclude on February 26. So far, the event has already seen a huge footfall crossing 199.4 million. Overcrowding at the main bathing ghats led to a stampede that killed at least 30 people earlier this week.
Additionally, a temporary city has been built over 4,000 hectares (9,990 acres, roughly the area of 7,500 football fields) on the banks of the river. This gigantic setup consists of 150,000 tents and nearly an equal number of toilets for the huge number of devotees coming here.