Srinagar, Sep 6: With the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway shut for over a week, airfares have skyrocketed, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or forced to pay exorbitant rates.
A spot analysis of fares shows that a one-way Srinagar-Delhi ticket for September 7 costs between Rs 13,000 and Rs 15,000, while Srinagar-Mumbai is pegged at Rs 17,000 per passenger.
For residents of Kashmir, the closure has turned routine travel into an ordeal.
The Srinagar-Jammu highway is the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, and its shutdown has amplified dependence on air travel, allowing airlines to jack up ticket prices.
President of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Javid Ahmad Tenga, termed the fare hike “unjustified and exploitative.”
He said, “We have been demanding an upper cap on airfares for years. Whenever such situations arise, airlines take undue advantage of Kashmir’s landlocked geography. The highway is not just a travel route but a supply line. When it gets blocked, prices shoot up instantly. This has both social and financial implications. Families who need to travel outside for medical treatment or emergencies are forced to shell out huge sums. At the same time, it scares away tourists, dealing a blow to our fragile economy.”
Former president of Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Farooq Ahmad Kuthoo, said Kashmir has witnessed this recurring cycle for decades.
“Every time the highway closes, fares spiral out of reach. This is not about tourism alone, the majority of travellers are locals who need to visit families, attend functions, or seek treatment. They are the real sufferers,” he said.
Passengers at Srinagar Airport expressed deep resentment, calling the fare surge “daylight robbery.”
Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Anantnag, who had to fly to Delhi for his mother’s treatment, said, “I had no choice but to pay Rs 11,000 for a single ticket. For a family of three, this means over Rs 33,000 just to reach Delhi. How is a common man supposed to afford this? It feels like we are being held hostage.”
An airline executive defended the pricing mechanism.
“Airfares are dynamic and determined by demand and supply. With the highway closed, demand for flights has surged while the number of seats remains limited. Prices go up automatically as seats fill up. We advise passengers to book early to avoid higher fares.”
Business bodies and travel associations are pressing the Civil Aviation Ministry to impose a ceiling on airfares during emergencies.
