Air India to reduce fare for flights to-and-fro Srinagar till 15 August, says company spokesperson after Civil Aviation Ministry advises to rein in surging airfare for pilgrims

New Delhi: Air India spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said, “Air India has decided to cap the fare at Rs 9500 for all our flights to and from Srinagar till 15 August”. The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday advised airlines to rein in the surging airfare, for pilgrims returning from the Amarnath Yatra.

Air India Spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar to ANI: Air India has decided to cap the fare at Rs 9500 for all our flights to and from Srinagar till 15th August pic.twitter.com/ZgeMBSdC10

— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2019

This comes after airfares for flights from Srinagar this weekend shot up to abnormally high levels after the Jammu and Kashmir state government issued an advisory urging pilgrims to curtail their Amarnath Yatra and return as soon as possible. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday asked Indian airlines to be prepared to operate extra flights to and from Srinagar to fly out Amarnath Yatris and tourists from the Valley. Soon after DGCA’s directions, airlines made announcements to give a full fee waiver on rescheduling or cancellation for all its flights to and from Srinagar. Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had ordered the deployment of an additional 100 companies of central paramilitary forces in the state. One company comprises around 100 personnel. Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft were also pressed into service to induct the security troops in the Valley.