Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Bagdogra-Kolkata air fare up 17 times

Kolkata: Air fares from Bagdogra to Kolkata has hit the stratosphere with airlines making the most of a sudden spurt in demand due to the disruption in road and rail owing to floods in north Bengal. Between Friday and Sunday, the one-way fare has increased 17 times from Rs 1,200 to a whopping Rs 20,000. That is a new off-season record on the sector. The last time fares hit such a high was in the height of peak summer holidays before the Darjeeling agitation began on June 8.
Though the downpour in north Bengal ceased, fares continue to remain sky-high with Tuesday's tickets available for Rs 17,960 on Jet Airways; Rs 14,195 on SpiceJet; and Rs 11,920 on IndiGo. On Wednesday, a SpiceJet ticket is retailing at Rs 14,195 while GoAir is selling at Rs 12,918.
Bagdogra airport director Rakesh Sahay said the spike in passengers had initially been on Bagdogra-bound flights on Friday and Saturday with travellers keen on making most of the extended weekend with a trip to the Dooars and Sikkim.
"With Darjeeling out of bounds, the average passenger count has been 1,800-1,900. But it shot up on Saturday to 2,200. But with heavy rain inundating north Bengal, departures increased to 2,200 on Saturday; 2,781 on Sunday and 3,070 on Monday," he said.
15/08/17 Times of India
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