The aviation sector has been thrust into a storm of panic-driven demand and skyrocketing prices, leaving hundreds of stranded tourists grappling with a logistical nightmare.
With both daily direct flights from Srinagar to Kolkata completely booked until the end of the week, travellers desperate to flee the valley found themselves confronting airfares soaring to an eye-watering ₹81,000, a stark jump from the pre-crisis range of ₹12,000 to ₹15,000. The abrupt surge in fares followed a mass exodus triggered by security concerns, as visitors sought urgent routes back to their home cities, particularly Kolkata. As direct flights reached full capacity, many were forced to detour via Delhi, further straining India’s aviation infrastructure. The scramble for seats exposed long-standing grievances about unchecked dynamic pricing models adopted by domestic airlines, particularly during emergencies when demand volatility is acute. Industry experts have reiterated the call for a cap on ticket prices during calamities to shield passengers from financial exploitation under duress.
Despite advisories from the civil aviation ministry urging carriers to augment flight frequencies from Srinagar, there was no visible increase in direct connectivity to Kolkata as of Wednesday evening. Only Delhi and Mumbai saw additional flights, offering some respite to travellers from other regions. The absence of increased direct services to eastern India left many in a lurch, prompting renewed debates over regional equity in emergency air travel arrangements.
The aviation fraternity did show partial responsiveness by waiving cancellation and rescheduling fees for passengers booked to and from Kashmir. Several airlines announced zero penalties on itinerary changes for affected travellers until the end of April. While this brought limited relief, the financial strain caused by unaffordable fares overshadowed the gesture for those still struggling to secure a way home.
Ironically, while outbound flights from Kashmir saw prices peaking due to heightened demand, the inbound sector experienced the opposite. Kolkata-to-Srinagar ticket prices dropped sharply to ₹10,000–₹13,000 by Thursday, nearly half of what they had been earlier in the week, as fears dampened travel interest to the region. Airline insiders indicated that this slump in demand might continue if the security situation does not stabilise, causing a cyclical disruption in both tourism flow and aviation economics.
The episode underscores the vulnerability of India’s travel infrastructure in crisis settings, exposing both gaps in policy regulation and the human cost of reactive planning. For cities like Kolkata, where direct air links to volatile zones are limited, the situation reinforces the need for a more inclusive and sustainable emergency travel framework. A system that balances market forces with social equity must become integral to India’s mobility strategy, especially in light of its growing climate, security, and humanitarian contingencies.
Also Read :https://urbanacres.in/stranded-tourists-airlifted-from-kashmir-to-pune/
Flights from Kashmir Unavailable Amid Tourist Panic and Price Rise
