Patna airfares skyrocket ahead of Diwali, Chhath homecoming

Patna: Patna-bound airfares have begun soaring ahead of Diwali and Chhath with passengers from Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Ranchi facing steep increases for travel around the festive dates.The surge is particularly sharp in the first and second weeks of Nov when a large number of people working in other states are expected to return to Bihar. With railway berths also under pressure, passengers are increasingly turning to flights, pushing up demand and fares.The sharpest increase has been seen on the Mumbai-Patna, Pune-Patna and Bengaluru-Patna sectors. According to booking portals, the minimum fare from Mumbai to Patna has crossed Rs 26,000 ahead of Diwali and Rs 23,000 ahead of Chhath, while the maximum fare can exceed Rs 35,000. Similarly, fares from Pune have crossed Rs 26,000.Bengaluru-Patna fares have also crossed Rs 25,000 on some peak dates, while Delhi-Patna fares are above Rs 15,000-19,000 for a single journey. Fares available on Monday showed a one-way Hyderabad-Patna ticket priced at Rs 16,000-19,000 on some days in November. The fare climbed to Rs 22,000 on Nov 7, just ahead of Diwali, compared with an average fare of Rs 7,200-8,000.The Chennai-Patna sector has also witnessed a sharp difference between festive and non-peak dates. A one-way ticket ahead of Diwali and Chhath was above Rs 20,000, while fares on other days were available from around Rs 11,000.Fares from Lucknow, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Ranchi have also picked up, highlighting the impact of travel dates and seat availability on festive-season fares.Alok Kumar, who runs a tour and travel agency on Boring Road, said fares could rise further as the festival dates approach, particularly if demand continues to outstrip available seats. Another travel agency operator, Saurav Khemka, said passengers were looking at flexible travel dates and early bookings to reduce costs as both rail and air travel face heavy demand. “However, fares are expected to remain volatile through the peak Diwali-Chhath travel period,” he said.Vikash Kumar Gupta, who is travelling from Mumbai to Patna for Diwali-Chhath celebrations, said, “Every year, it is the same story. No matter how early I book my tickets, it is still higher than the regular fare.”You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Patna | Silver Rate in Patna | Bank Holidays in Patna | Public Holidays in Patna | Patna AQI | Weather in Patna | Petrol Price in Patna | Diesel Price in Patna | CNG Price in Patna | LPG Price in PatnaStay updated with the latest Patna news. Download the TOI App.