Kashmir airfares hit record highs, wallets crash

Srinagar, Feb 23: Kashmir’s air connectivity crisis has deepened as airfares to the Valley have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, surpassing international travel costs and drawing sharp criticism from parliamentary committees, business leaders, and affected travellers.

A comprehensive analysis of current airfares reveals astronomical prices across major routes.

For Delhi-Srinagar flights, travellers pay Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000, while those from Bangalore must pay approximately Rs 17,000.

Mumbai residents are confronted with even steeper fares of Rs 27,000, and Kolkata passengers face rates around Rs 18,000 for February 24 departures.

The human cost of these exorbitant fares was poignantly illustrated by Srinagar resident Javid Ahmad, who recently endured a significant financial burden during a medical emergency.

“I paid Rs 16,500 per passenger airfare from Delhi to Srinagar. We were four family members, and my total cost of air tickets was Rs 66,000 because we travelled to Delhi for my father’s critical surgery and had our children with us as there was nobody here to look after them,” Ahmad said, highlighting the devastating impact on families facing medical necessities.

The issue has captured the attention of national policymakers.

In a strongly worded report last year, the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture emphasised the detrimental effect on tourism stressing, “Exorbitant price of air tickets is a major dampener. Escalating airfares of ‘low cost’ carriers during the peak season is a major deterrent to increasing footfall in the region. The airfares are equivalent to that of nearby foreign destinations and given the sensitivity of the region, tourists would prefer to visit nearby foreign destinations at the same airfare rather than visit J&K.”

The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has been particularly vocal about the economic implications.

“This issue not only poses a significant concern for Kashmir's economy and tourism but also places an undue burden on the local populace, who are forced to pay exorbitant air travel prices compared to other regions,” KCCI President Javid Tenga said.

The trade body further emphasised the paradox in tourism promotion efforts saying, “Despite government efforts to promote Kashmir as a premier tourist destination, the current airfares make the region a costlier option for potential travellers.”

The KCCI challenges the traditional supply-demand explanation offered by carriers saying, “If the demand for travel to Kashmir is genuinely high, airlines should increase the number of available flights rather than hiking prices.”

This statement directly confronts the industry’s typical justification for fare increases.

The situation has historical precedent concerning practices.

In 2021, the Crime Branch Kashmir launched an investigation into alleged price manipulation, conducting searches across Srinagar city.

The probe was initiated following complaints from Travel Associations and Trade bodies through the Director Tourism, Kashmir, regarding questionable ticketing practices.

Specifically, allegations emerged about “dry selling and offline selling of bulk tickets by airline staff to the ticketing agents in advance in violation of the standing norms and procedure.”

Current market conditions are reportedly exacerbated by multiple factors, including increased tourist flow during New Year celebrations.

However, regulatory solutions remain elusive.

While the Ministry of Tourism has engaged with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the government’s current hands-off approach to airfare regulation has left the issue unresolved.