Disruption in metro services between Dumdum and Dakshineswar; normal services resume after 2 hours
As the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya approaches on January 22, flight bookings to the city have witnessed a substantial surge, with a 150% increase reported since January 1, 2024, for the period of January 21-23. According to data from online travel portals, airfares on the Delhi-Ayodhya and Mumbai-Ayodhya routes for January 20 and 21 have spiked to approximately ₹16,000, compared to the usual ₹3,500 to ₹4,000. CEO and Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip, Nishant Pitti, noted the heightened demand, stating that flight searches to Ayodhya have also seen a 70% increase since the beginning of the year.
Ayodhya's Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30, is gearing up for an influx of pilgrims. However, the increased demand has led to a threefold surge in airfares, causing passengers to pay significantly higher prices for travel during the inauguration period. Notably, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated direct flights between Ayodhya and Ahmedabad from Delhi on Thursday, expanding connectivity to the spiritual city.