12345 Kolkata: Flying to Patna, Darbhanga, Ranchi or Gorakhpur from Kolkata over the next couple of days can prove more expensive than travelling to Bangkok. While the two-way fare to the Thai capital is Rs 16,000 and a one-way fare is half the amount, flight fares to cities in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh have gone through the roof due to Chhath.
With a sizable population from those places working and living in Kolkata, demand for flight tickets escalates ahead of every Chhath, the biggest festival in the Hindi heartland. With two days to go for Chhath, the air fare to Patna from Kolkata and back, departing Tuesday, cost Rs 20,000-25,000, nearly twice the regular fare of around Rs 11,000. The one-way fare at nearly Rs 15,000 was nearly four times the usual fare of Rs 4,000. The fare on Wednesday was slightly lower at Rs 16,000 for two ways and Rs 11,581 for one way.
For Darbhanga, the two-way fare was Rs 32,000 on the flight departing Kolkata on Wednesday and Rs 27,000 on the flight departing Thursday. The usual two-way fare on the route is Rs 15,000. The one-way fare hovered between Rs 12,500 and Rs 18,500, up from the usual fare of Rs 7,000.
Ranchi saw the two-way fare hover around Rs 16,000 on Tuesday and Rs 14,500 on Wednesday, while the single-way fare was Rs 11,500 on Tuesday and Rs 6,000-10,000 on Thursday. The usual two-way fare from Kolkata to Ranchi and back is around Rs 7,500, while the one-way fare is around Rs 3,400.
The two-way fare to Gorakhpur on Tuesday hovered around Rs 16,000 and dipped only slightly on Wednesday's flight to Rs 15,500. The usual two-way fare is Rs 10,500 on this route. The one-way fare on Tuesday was Rs 9,000, but Wednesday's fare was higher at Rs 13,000. The regular one-way fare is around Rs 5,300.
Most passengers expressed frustration over the high prices and limited options. Many found the airfare unreasonable and demanded regulation by the govt to keep runaway fares in check. Some reluctantly did buy expensive tickets, while others adjusted their travel plans to secure cheaper tickets before or after the festival.
Airlines argued operating flights during holidays involved higher costs for staffing and logistics, necessitating fare increases.