AAP leader Raghav Chadha accuses airlines of fleecing Mahakumbh devotees, demands Centre's intervention

New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Tuesday accused airlines of taking advantage of Mahakumbh devotees by charging exorbitant flight fares to Prayagraj.
Typically, flights to Prayagraj cost between Rs5,000 to Rs8,000, but with the Mahakumbh festivities underway, airlines are charging Rs50,000 to Rs60,000. In a video message on X, Raghav accused airlines of profiteering by charging exorbitant fares.
He urged the Centre to intervene and cap flight prices 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," he stated.
This isn't the first time Chadha has raised concerns about unfair practices. Previously, he highlighted the issue of overpriced food at airport canteens, which led to the introduction of affordable options for passengers.
"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.
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.(ANI)