Airlines cash in on Gujjar stir

New Delhi/Jaipur: The Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan has gifted airlines a rare windfall. They have hiked air fares between 150 and 200 per cent for year-end travellers on the busy "Golden Triangle circuit" covering Delhi, Agra and Jaipur and the Mumbai-Jaipur route via Ajmer.
The Gujjars hold the government to ransom by blocking rail tracks on Sunday.
About a lakh people are stranded in various parts of the state after the Gujjars intensified their rail and road blockade on Saturday, the sixth day of their protest.
They blocked the Ajmer-Indore track in Bhilwara.
Similarly, road transport remained disturbed in various districts.
This led to air fares jumping by at least 150 per cent than the usual about a week ago and in some cases, even up to 200 per cent on the Delhi-Jaipur route.
"There are two-three daily flights on the Delhi-Jaipur sector and most seats are booked for the last week of the year," travel website Yatra. com's Sabina Chopra said. "But, for the 10-12 seats still available on each flight, air fares have jumped from the usual Rs 2,500-Rs 4,000 slab to the Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 for December 28 and 29." Jet Airways and Air India's evening flights will cost Rs 20,000 (via Ahmedabad) and Rs 17,000, respectively on December 28, she said.
On the Jaipur-Mumbai air route, where Kingfisher Airlines offers tickets for Rs 2,400, Jet Airways and Air India are charging Rs 5,200 for the same dates next week.
Sensing urgency of the passengers, travel agents are quoting Rs 10,000 for the Mumbai-Jaipur flight, "which is blamed more on bad weather, including fog, in the last two nights threatening to cancel the last evening flights", a senior Kingfisher official said in Delhi.
But the worst-hit are the Golden Triangle circuit lovers, who have to travel by road for the lack of flight service between Delhi and Agra.
26/12/10 Maneesh Pandey & Sudhanshu Mishra/India Today

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Dec 2010