Maha Kumbh mela boosts air travel demand: Special flights, skyrocketing fares; all you need to know

MUMBAI: February is typically considered a lean period for air travel, but this year, a planetary alignment has made it a season of high yields for the four domestic carriers that have launched special flights to transport pilgrims for the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
The ongoing mela, which attracts millions of pilgrims and visitors from around the world, has skewed the demand-supply dynamics to such an extent that the cheapest fare for a round-trip weekend visit on February 15-16 non-stop flights from Bengaluru and Kolkata to Prayagraj was priced at Rs 58,000 on Saturday.
From Mumbai, the return fares began at Rs 42,000, while the geographically closer Delhi offered the best bet, with return fares starting at Rs 31,000. However, booking for travel during a weekend in March—Maha Kumbh ends on February 26—reveals that fares have dropped to Rs 14,000 for a return ticket from Mumbai and Rs 18,000 for a return from Bengaluru.
Weekday travel for February is cheaper. For instance, a return trip from Bengaluru for February 18-20 is priced at Rs 38,000. However, prices spike when dates with religious significance fall on weekdays, such as February 3, 12, and 26. Four airlines—Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air—are operating special flights for the mela.
Travel portal Skyscanner said its data showed peak travel demand for January 28, indicating a higher interest due to the Second Shahi Snan (royal bath). "January 28 recorded a staggering 675% increase in booking volume compared to a typical day. Compared to the same time last year, when no event was held in Prayagraj, the volume of bookings surged by 1,776%," it stated.
The top five international cities that searched for travel to Prayagraj around these dates were Dubai, London, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and Doha, it added.
The data also revealed significant week-on-week growth (January 20 week compared to January 13 week) in searches for travel in February for routes such as Hyderabad-Prayagraj (2,815%), Pune-Prayagraj (1,345%), and Prayagraj-Mumbai (870%).
Later in the evening, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) tweeted that it had approved 81 additional flights in January to meet increased demand for air travel to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh. That raised Prayagraj connectivity to 132 flights from across India, the regulator said. The move came after the DGCA held a meeting with airlines on January 23 and urged them to further increase capacity by adding flights and rationalising fares.
Domestic passenger traffic in India has been on the rise in the past three years, following a decline during the Covid pandemic. Last year, domestic airlines transported 1,613.31 lakh passengers from January to December 2024, compared to 1,520.32 lakh passengers during the corresponding period of the previous year, thereby registering an annual growth of 6.12% and monthly growth of 8.19%.