Airfares from New Delhi to Malaysia are now cheaper than those to Srinagar, leaving Srinagar-bound flyers feeling the pinch of skyrocketing fares.
On February 27, the air fares from Delhi to Srinagar ranged between ₹12,000 to ₹19,000, while flights to Langkawi were available at ₹16,000
The surge in fares has hit budget travellers the hardest, making air travel unaffordable for them.
Zakir Ahmad, a civil service aspirant, who recently wrote a state civil services’ examination in Srinagar, said high airfares had forced him to travel by road from Delhi. “Last-minute travellers had to bear the brunt of exorbitant fares,” Ahmad said.
In February 2024, a parliamentary committee suggested implementing route-specific limits on airfares and creating a separate body on airfares to control ticket pricing, addressing widespread concerns about arbitrary fare hikes. The panel had recommended empowering the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation to regulate tariffs on domestic flights.
Growing air passenger traffic
Notably, according to a monthly report by ICRA, domestic air passenger traffic in January reached 150 lakh, marking a 0.7 per cent increase from 149 lakh in December 2024, and a 14.5 per cent year-on-year growth.
During the peak tourist season, airfares typically shoot up due to the heavy influx of tourists arriving in the Valley, spurring many holiday makers and sightseers to reconsider their decision to visit the Valley.
Another contributing factor is the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway — the only surface link connecting the Valley to other parts of the country — due to recurring mud slides, triggered by inclement weather conditions.
However, the construction of new tunnels along the road have not only helped reduce the travel time, but has also circumvented some slide prone areas. Nevertheless, the road is still far from becoming an all-weather road.
Hope from railways
“Once the train service between New Delhi and Srinagar becomes operational, travel is expected to get cheaper,” said Nisar Ahmad, a businessman who frequently travels between New Delhi and Kashmir on business trips.
With the completion of the much awaited 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), trains services between New Delhi and Kashmir are expected to begin after the culmination of the Maha Kumb Mela.