Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Dec 6: Air travel woes deepened across the country, including Kashmir, on Saturday as IndiGo flight disruptions persisted for another straight day, sending airfares soaring to as high as Rs 7,000–8,000 on several routes.
Many tour and travel operators said that while other airlines operated normally, the disruptions hitting IndiGo have triggered an unexpected spike in airfares, especially on short-notice bookings.
“The fares have shot up to Rs 4,000–6,000 on the Delhi and Jammu routes and even higher on some others, due to cancellations and limited seat availability,” said Tawqeer, a travel operator and owner of Connect Kashmir Mobile.
Echoing the concern, Wahid Ahmed, another Srinagar-based travel agent, said the sudden hike has left passengers “frustrated and helpless,” especially those with medical or urgent travel needs. “The airfare has abruptly gone up to over Rs 7,000–8,000 on multiple routes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rouf Tramboo, President of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), told KNO that the situation underscores the need for stronger airline contingency planning. “Such disruptions hit tourism and passenger confidence hard. Authorities and airlines must coordinate to prevent a repeat,” he said.
He added that the disruption has also led to cancellations of other pre-booked flights and tourist arrivals. “The surge in airfares has forced many visitors to cancel or reschedule their winter bookings,” he said, expressing hope that the issue is resolved at the earliest.
Meanwhile, airport officials maintained that the remaining operations were running on schedule but urged passengers to verify flight timings before heading towards the airport.
