In the wake of the deadly militant attack in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu held an urgent meeting with all airline operators and issued a strong advisory against surge pricing on the Srinagar route.
Flight tickets from Srinagar had skyrocketed since the attack left at least 26 people dead and 10 others injured. Airlines have been directed to maintain regular fare levels, ensuring that no passenger is burdened during this sensitive time, the official release from the ministry said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, issued an urgent advisory to airlines in response to an unexpected surge in demand for flights from Srinagar.
Airlines have also waived ticket rescheduling and cancellation charges.
Naidu also spoke to Home Minister Amit Shah and is monitoring the situation closely in coordination with relevant authorities. He has also directed all airlines to extend full cooperation for the transportation of deceased individuals to their respective home states, working in sync with state governments and local authorities.
Of those who died, six were from Maharashtra, three each from Gujarat and Karnataka, two from West Bengal, and one each from Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala. One of those who died was from Nepal.
In the advisory, the DGCA has emphasised the importance of airlines acting swiftly to increase the frequency of flights connecting Srinagar to other major cities across India. This measure is aimed at facilitating the evacuation of stranded tourists and ensuring that they can return home without further disruption.
