Shah Basit
A flight to Kashmir now costs more than trips to international destinations, with airfares reaching record highs across major routes.
Passengers hoping to travel to Kashmir are finding themselves caught in an unpredictable price surge.
A ticket from Delhi to Srinagar has jumped to ₹16,000, while flights from Mumbai cost ₹16,000 and Chennai and Bangalore passengers are paying a staggering ₹18,000.
This is turning into a crisis, said Fayaz Ahmed, a businessman from Srinagar.
Airlines are treating Kashmir as a premium route, charging prices that make no sense. A last-minute booking costs nearly as much as a foreign trip.
Travel agents report that despite government claims of promoting tourism, the high ticket prices are discouraging visitors.
They argue that airlines should increase the number of flights instead of inflating prices.
We get calls every day from people looking for cheaper fares, said a travel agent in Srinagar. But there are no options. The airlines say demand is high, but why aren’t they adding more flights?
The tourism sector is also feeling the impact. A hotel owner in Pahalgam said many travelers cancel their trips after seeing airfare costs.
“People want to visit, but when they compare Kashmir’s ticket prices with international destinations, they choose elsewhere,” said Hilal Ahmed, a travel operator from Sonmarg.