Jammu, November 28: Aviation authorities may have started new projects to make air travel affordable, the fare continues to be exorbitant on flights operating to Ladakh, a UT carved out of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir recently.
The low frequency of flights operating from Leh—five to six in winters compared to 12-13 in summers—was to be blamed for the surge in fare, said airport officials. When the flight frequency is high, a ticket can cost as less as Rs 3,500.
Passengers either have to book their flights weeks in advance or have to shell out anything from Rs 16,000 to Rs 29,000 for one-way Leh-Delhi or Leh-Delhi-Jammu trip.
The situation, not new for Ladakhis in winters, has emerged against the backdrop of closure of two vital national highways—the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh and Manali-Leh links—due to snow.
Locals have been demanding that the authorities must intervene so that the airlines couldn’t take the passengers for a ride. For the first week of December, no ticket is available on the direct Leh-Jammu flight while the rates of the connecting flight via Delhi are virtually out of reach for commoners—Rs 18,000 to over Rs 29,000. For direct flight between Leh and Delhi, the fare is Rs 14,000 to `19,000 for one-way journey. The rates for Chandigarh passengers are even higher, from Rs 21,000 to Rs 33,000 (connecting flights).
Sources said airlines operated frequent flights during peak summer season after considering commercial viability. But the services are curtailed in winters. Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, had recently met Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to apprise him of the “high airfare and lesser number of flights”.
