Chandigarh-Delhi airfare goes through the roof, up five times

Mohali, February 12

The Chandigarh-Delhi airfares have gone through the roof with one way ticket costing around five times the normal rate.

The air ticket from Chandigarh to Delhi and vice versa, which costs around Rs 3,000 on normal days, is available for rates from Rs 9,104 to Rs 17,021 for February 13. The surge is unusually high for the next three days with normalcy (Rs 3,018) returning on February 21.

The air tickets are also in short supply with only two, out of nine Delhi-bound flights from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport here, showing availability.

One of the airlines is operating two additional flights on the Chandigarh-Delhi route on February 12, 13 and 14.

“People, who have to travel for urgent work or cannot delay the travel, are a harried lot for as the air fares are high and ticket availability is also an issue,” said Kamaljeet Khurana, a resident of Phase 7, who had to go abroad for some official work.

People, who plan to travel on the Chandigarh-Delhi national highway in the next two-three days, are having an anxious time as the farmer unions’ have announced the “Delhi Chalo” march on February 13. The police have barricaded roads at borders of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

Delhi trains full, bookings surge

Chandigarh: In anticipation of the farmers’ protest on February 13, train bookings to Delhi have surged significantly. The New Delhi Janshatabdi scheduled for Tuesday, departing from Chandigarh at 7.43 pm, had a full occupancy with a waiting list of 121 in the second seating by the evening. Other trains, including Pashchim Express (waiting list 123 in sleeper coach) Vandebharat (waiting list of 33 in chair car) and Kalka Shatabdi were also completely booked. Usually, these trains are booked full to their capacity a day before their scheduled run. A passenger, who has booked a train ticket for tomorrow, said, “The anticipation of the upcoming protest seems to have impacted travel plans for many.”