Air fares soar ahead of India-Pakistan tie at Mohali

Business class tickets are sold out on all flights to Chandigarh, while economy class fares have soared ahead of the India-Pakistan Cricket World Cup semifinal match on 30 March in Mohali.
Those who do make it inside the stadium that day will have Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for company. In a public invitation, Singh has also asked Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to join him in the stands at Mohali, the first such gesture since the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
Those who haven’t bought their flight tickets for Chandigarh have to be prepared to pay a premium.
“It’s a big match, it’s like the finals. Chandigarh is sold out,” said a senior officer at a travel website, who declined to be named. “These type of events don’t come often for the airline industry, but the fares are definitely crazy.”
The 30-minute flight between Delhi and Chandigarh will cost Rs.7,407-10,482 on 29 March, a day before the match. Fares for 30 March are not available while those for the return flight on 31 March are Rs.8,400-11,700.
A flight to Chandigarh from Delhi on any other day costs about Rs.3,200.
About a dozen flights ply between Chandigarh and the national capital every day, with most of them going on to, or returning from Jammu and Srinagar.
26/03/11 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2011