Airfare shoots up in Valley due to unreliability of roads

SRINAGAR: Even as the Srinagarjammu highway was opened for traffic after four days on Monday, there was a steep rise in airfare in Kashmir valley.

On Monday, the cost of air tickets from Srinagar to Delhi and vice versa was ₹10,000 to ₹15,000. Many online portals, selling the tickets, displayed similar rates during the next five days.

“However, on Sunday, the cost of a ticket from Srinagar to Jammu via Delhi had risen to around ₹17, 000,” said Mohammad Omar, a tour and travel operator in Lal Chowk.

He said that a number of factors were responsible for the increase in cost, including cancellation of flights for seven days and closure of the highway.

“Airlines are also keeping a particular percentage of tickets reserved for defence personnel. The airlines also dry-sell tickets in bulk to agents in advance, which then creates an artificial scarcity,” he said.

Stakeholders in the tourism sector feel that the steep rise will affect the arrival of visitors even though the sector is already in stress after the August 5 developments and restrictions.

“The government wants tourists to come to the Valley but I see no hope while the airfare is so high and the highway closes often,” said Shabir Dar, a tour operator of old city.

The valley saw the lowest footfall of tourists from August to November this year as against the corresponding period of the past six years. As per government figures, only 36,105 tourists visited Kashmir in the four months while 2, 67,955 travelled to valley between August and November of 2018.

Superintendent of police traffic (rural) Muzaffar Shah said, “Stranded vehicles on the Ramban-banihal stretch have