Mahakumbh 2025: 'Multi-fold’ jump in airfares, Bengaluru-Prayagraj flights 41% costlier

According to travel portal ixigo, the one-way airfare between Bhopal and Prayagraj has surged to ₹17,796 from ₹2,977, a 500% jump.

Airfares for Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj have jumped multi-fold on account of the ongoing Mahakumbh 2025, with the air ticket prices, for instance, between Delhi and the city hosting the mega fair, rising up to 21 per cent and flights from Bengaluru going 41 per cent costlier, as per reports.

Bloomberg file photo

While the price of a flight ticket between Delhi and Prayagraj is ₹5,748 (per person), people travelling to the Uttar Pradesh city from financial capital Mumbai will have to shell ₹6,381 (up 13%), news agency PTI reported citing travel portal ixigo.

Passengers flying from IT hub Bengaluru will have to spend ₹11,158 (up 41 per cent) on their tickets, while the price for those arriving from Ahmedabad is ₹10,364, an increase of 41 per cent.

However, the rise in ticket fare is the steepest for flights from Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal – ₹17,796 from ₹2,977 last year, an addition of 498 per cent.

Among cities in Uttar Pradesh, flights to Prayagraj from capital Lucknow and the holy city of Varanasi, have become costlier by 3-21 per cent, the analysis showed.

These are one-way average fares on 30 days advanced purchase date basis from January 13-February 26, the Mahakumbh duration.

On Tuesday, Air India announced that starting January 25, it will operate daily Delhi-Prayagraj services till February 28, to meet high travel demand.

The ixigo study also found that on yearly basis, flight bookings to Prayagraj have jumped 162 per cent. The figures are for the January 13 to February 26 period, the analysis noted.

Prayagraj is now connected to over 20 destinations through direct and one-stop flights, compared to just one from Delhi during the previous Mahakumbh, it added.