Travel pangs: Delhi-Dharamsala air fare more than trip to Singapore!

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, April 18

With tourist season setting in, the air fare to Dharamsala has inexplicably shot up with a ticket costing as much as Rs 21,000 from Delhi. What flummoxes passengers is the fact that the fare is much higher than a flight to Singapore or Thailand that costs Rs 18,000 and Rs 15,000, respectively.

Akshai Runchal, a resident of McLeodganj, told The Tribune that he recently had to go to Delhi for a meeting but changed the route after enquiring about the fare. “I took a taxi to Jammu for Rs 3,000 from where I flew to Delhi for Rs 7,000. Jammu is farther from Delhi than Dharamsala but it takes much less than what a SpiceJet air ticket costs you from Dharamsala.”

Deepak Kumar, a tour and travel operator in McLeodganj, said: “Generally during the peak season, one-way ticket from Delhi to Dharamsala ranges up to Rs 15,000. But this year, even at the beginning of the season it has already touched Rs 21,000. It is among the most costly air tickets in the country during the peak season.”

SpiceJet authorities at the Gaggal airport refused to comment. State Transport Minister GS Bali said the air travel to Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states was cheap as it was subsidised by the Centre. “Himachal being a hill state depends on the tourism industry. We have urged the Centre to extend subsidy benefit to HP and bring it on a par with the northeastern states,” he said.

Sources at the Gaggal airport said lack of refuelling facility at the station was one of the reasons for high air fare. “Most planes that land here have 70 seats. They come fully occupied from Delhi but can ferry back not more than 55 passengers. If refuelling facility is provided here, planes will be able to fly back with full occupancy, which may bring down  the fare,” a source said.