Taking the advantage of the closure of the Valley’s only road link to Jammu due to inclement weather for past few days, the airlines have hiked the air fare on 35 minute duration flight between Srinagar and Jammu to whopping Rs 6600.
Just a week before, the air ticket from Srinagar to Jammu went between Rs 1100 to Rs 1500 which has now shot up to Rs 5600 on March 12 while the return ticket from Jammu to Srinagar starts from Rs 6600.
Valley people have to regularly bear the brunt of inflated air fare due to the frequent closure of Srinagar – Jammu highway.
Interestingly, the air ticket from Srinagar to New Delhi which is of 1:45 hour duration goes comparatively at a lower price tag of Rs 4600.
One of the India’s leading travel portals yatra.com sold air ticket between Srinagar to Jammu at Rs 5600 on March 12 while on March 13 it sells cheapest return ticket of GoAir at Rs 6507.
The same portal also sells the cheapest economy class air ticket of GoAir from New Delhi to Srinagar at Rs 7692 on March 13.
The increased air fare has affected the tour plans of the local population as well tourists.
Notably, the travel trade and hospitality sector has time and again taken up this matter with the State government, airline authorities and union civil aviation ministry but to no avail.
“I was planning to visit Jammu for a religious conference through road but it is closed now. Air fare is also unaffordable which has touched over Rs 5000. This is blackmailing,” said Abdul Majeed form downtown area of Srinagar.
The travel trade fraternity is also worried over the rising prices of the air fare. In their recent meeting with the newly appointed Principal Secretary Tourism Sandip Naik, all the travel trade associations voiced same concern and demanded regulation of the air fare during peak seasons and during closure of Srinagar – Jammu highway.
“We frequently face this problem as and when highway is closed due to bad weather. The airlines arbitrarily hike air fare which not only affects locals who have to travel to Jammu or other State for business purposes or for studies but tourists also. Many tourists shelve their plan to visit Kashmir due to higher air fare,” said President Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) Manzoor Siddiq.
TAAK said it urged government to press more Air India flights on Srinagar route besides add special holiday trains to Jammu so that the air fare stabilizes.
“Air India can start regular Boeings having over 350 seating capacity. If we have such flights, air fare can be regulated. We have also demanded special holiday trains to Jammu on regular basis which would also help ease air tariff to Srinagar during peak season,” said Siddiq.
Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance Manzoor Pakhtoon said hike in air fare hits tourism badly.
“If government is sincere in attracting more tourists to Valley it should press airlines to regulate air fare to and fro Srinagar. The road link to Kashmir is unpredictable due to which travellers would want to fly to Kashmir without any hassle. If there was stable and low air fare we would get good tourist flow,” said JKTA Chairman.
