SpiceJet, Air India add flights to Patna as Diwali, Chhath rush sends fares soaring

Airlines have announced special flights and increased frequencies to Patna and Darbhanga in Bihar to cater to the surge in travel demand during Diwali and Chhath Puja amid skyrocketing airfares on these routes due to limited capacity.

SpiceJet on Thursday said it has launched special festive flights to Patna from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, apart from enhancing frequencies from Delhi and Mumbai to the Bihar capital.

The airline has also increased connectivity to Darbhanga from Delhi and Mumbai, it said in a release.

Air India and Air India Express have already announced the addition of 166 flights to and from Patna to meet the festive rush around Diwali and Chhath Puja.

These are in addition to Air India’s existing 42 weekly flights to Patna from Delhi and Mumbai, and 14 weekly flights by Air India Express from Delhi and Bengaluru.

"Air India and Air India Express today announced the addition of 166 flights to and from Patna to meet the surging festive demand around Diwali and Chhath Puja," Air India said in a release on Tuesday.

Airfares on several routes connecting Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh have surged three- to four-fold compared with off-season levels, according to online travel portals.

The demand spike comes ahead of Diwali, which will be celebrated on October 20 in most states, and Chhath Puja, observed from October 25 to 28.

The four-day Chhath festival, observed predominantly in Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, traditionally witnesses large-scale migration of people from metros such as Delhi and Mumbai to their hometowns.

Data from travel platforms show that the minimum one-way fare from Delhi to Patna has crossed ₹9,100 for October 17 and 18, compared with about ₹4,000–₹6,000 during non-festive periods.

Fares on Mumbai–Ranchi and Mumbai–Purnea routes have climbed even higher, touching ₹19,000–₹22,000 per ticket for travel around October 17–20.