The much-anticipated opening ceremony of the Ram Mandir and the 'Pran-Pratishtha' or consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla's idol is set to take place in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, for which preparations are peaking. With over 8,000 invitations, 4,000 saints from across the country, and many dignitaries and celebs attending the grand ceremony, this is going to be a mega event. As Ayodhya will witness an unprecedented increase in the inflow of tourists and pilgrims, Air India Express is starting operations in the holy city to accommodate a large number of devotees planning to visit the city.
Though Air India Express operations won't commence until December 30, the airline is operating some flights from select destinations for the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla's idol. But the fare for the AI Express flight for people flying in on January 21, a day before the ceremony, is jaw-dropping.
BLR-AYJ flight fare shoots up
Even though attendance at the consecration ceremony is by invitation only, the flight fare for those travelling from Bengaluru to Ayodhya is similar to that of an international roundtrip. A quick search on AI Express website reveals that the flight fare from Bengaluru to Ayodhya International Airport on January 21 costs Rs 45,466. In fact, the same flights on January 20 and 22 aren't cheap either. It is priced at Rs 30,311. On other days between January 16 and 24, the flight fares range from Rs 10,000 and Rs 16,000, which is similar to Delhi-Ayodhya fares.
But this fare shouldn't be alarming to the masses. AI Express inaugural flight commences on December 30, 2023, which departs from Delhi at 11:00 hrs and lands in Ayodhya at 12:20 hrs. The return flight will depart from Ayodhya at 12:50 hours and arrive in Delhi at 14:10 hours.
Ayodhya is the 45th destination for AI Express and its third operational sector in UP. Besides Delhi, Air India Express will also connect Ayodhya to destinations such as Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Kochi, Guwahati, Goa, Gwalior, Jaipur, Pune, Surat, Srinagar, and Sharjah.
The airline operates over 300 flights daily, connecting 31 domestic and 14 international airports, with a fleet of 59 aircraft, comprising 31 Boeing 737s and 28 Airbus A320s.
"Air India Express is excited to commence operations from Ayodhya right after the airport opens... We're enthusiastic about Ayodhya's anticipated growth, attracting pilgrims and travellers from near and far and take pride in being part of this exciting growth story," Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express, said.
