Kolkata: Airfares to Kolkata have nearly doubled ahead of Diwali, with thousands of Bengalis working and studying outside the state scrambling for tickets to return home for Kali Puja and Bhaiphonta festivities. With the twin festivals falling between Nov 8 and 10, fares on several busy routes have soared, making a festive homecoming an increasingly expensive affair.On Nov 7, a Saturday and the eve of Kali Puja, one-way air tickets to Kolkata are priced at around Rs 13,700 from Delhi, Rs 13,500 from Bengaluru and Chennai, Rs 20,600 from Ahmedabad and a staggering Rs 23,000 from Mumbai. The contrast with fares for flights departing Kolkata on the same day is striking, with tickets in the opposite direction available for around Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000.According to Anil Punjabi, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), East, fares on several high-demand routes have climbed by 40% to 80% over their usual levels. “The sharpest pressure was being felt among professionals and students who had skipped Durga Puja because of work or academic commitments and were now trying to make it home for the Nov festivities,” said Punjabi. The steep ticket prices, he added, were forcing many to reconsider or stretch their travel budgets.Tech professionals and students account for a sizeable share of the festive traffic. Krishnakali Chatterjee, a banking professional based in Bengaluru, had missed her Durga Puja trip home and decided to return during Diwali instead. “My leave was confirmed at the last moment, by which time airfares had shot up considerably. But spending the festivals with family mattered more than the cost of the ticket. I am travelling with my son to celebrate Kali Puja and Bhaiphonta with my loved ones after two years,” said Chatterjee, a resident of Garia.“We are gearing up to handle the additional passenger rush. Extra CISF personnel and ground staff will be deployed to ensure smooth passenger movement and minimise congestion,” a senior airport official said.Travel operators expect fares to remain elevated, with several popular flight slots already sold out. “The steep pricing is due to combination of concentrated festive demand and limited seat availability. It has triggered dynamic fare revisions across carriers,” said an airline official.
