Pahalgam aftermath: Maharashtra govt to fly 182 to Pune from Srinagar, foot bill

Joy Sengupta / TNN / Updated: Apr 24, 2025, 12:04 IST

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Following the Pahalgam terror attack, many tourists found themselves stranded in Srinagar, facing a surge in airfares. Minister Murlidhar Mohol announced that IndiGo and Air India will operate two free flights from Srinagar to Mumbai on Thursday for 182 stranded tourists, with the state government covering the costs.

Pahalgam aftermath: Maharashtra govt to fly 182 to Pune from Srinagar, foot bill

Following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Minister Murlidhar Mohol announced that IndiGo and Air India will operate two free flights from Srinagar to Mumbai on Thursday for 182 stranded tourists, with the state government covering the costs.

PUNE: Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Wednesday said IndiGo and Air India would operate two flights from Srinagar to Mumbai on Thursday, carrying 182 stranded tourists free of charge. He also directed airlines to reduce airfares for flights departing from Srinagar.
Many tourists are stranded in Srinagar following Tuesday's Pahalgam terror attack, which led to a surge in airfares from Srinagar. "The two flights will arrive in Mumbai from Srinagar with 182 tourists. State govt will bear the cost of their airfares," Mohol said, adding, "While we haven't put any cap on the airfares, the airlines have been told to keep the ticket prices under control to provide relief to the stranded tourists."

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Of these 182 flyers, 83 will take the IndiGo flight, while 99 will fly by Air India. "Both the flights are scheduled to depart Srinagar around 3pm and arrive in Mumbai around 6.10pm," a source in the ministry said.

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"The airlines have already waived cancellation and rescheduling charges for passengers flying out of Kashmir. The airlines are expected to bring the airfares under control soon," Mohol said.
Pune resident Jyoti Zurunge, who is stranded in Srinagar, said airfares for Srinagar-Pune flights stood at Rs15,000 to Rs 20,000 per person. "High airfares were holding people back in Srinagar. We are in touch with authorities and local MPs. Govt should intervene to make airfares affordable. We are all shaken by the attack," she said.
As of Wednesday, one-way airfare from Srinagar to Pune stood between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 per person, while it was Rs 11,000-Rs 15,000 on Srinagar-Mumbai route, Rs 10,000-Rs 16,000 to Kolkata, Rs 14,000 to Rs 18,000 to Patna and Rs 11,000- Rs25,000 to Ahmedabad.
Amish Patadiya of Ahmedabad, who was in Srinagar with five others, said, "They could not afford to rebook as airfares surged dramatically after the terror attack. We have a booking on SpiceJet, but neither the portal that we used to book the ticket nor the airline is providing us with proper information about rescheduling."
(With inputs from Sarang Dastane)

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