The recent spike in airfares to Kashmir has placed an unbearable financial burden on travelers while jeopardizing the region’s fragile economy. With ticket prices soaring beyond international travel costs—₹27,000 from Mumbai and ₹18,000 from Kolkata—the prospect of visiting Kashmir is now a luxury rather than an option. This crisis is not just an inconvenience but a direct assault on the aspirations of families, businesses, and tourism stakeholders who rely on affordable connectivity to sustain their livelihoods.
For Kashmiri residents, exorbitant airfares have turned even essential travel into a financial ordeal. Javid Ahmad, a Srinagar resident, had to pay ₹16,500 per ticket for his family’s return from Delhi following his father’s critical surgery. The total bill amounted to ₹66,000, a staggering sum for a journey that, under normal circumstances, should not cost a fraction of that. Unlike most regions in India, where rail and road networks provide alternatives, Kashmiris are trapped by geography, forced to accept whatever airlines demand.
The impact on tourism is equally devastating. While the government continues to market Kashmir as a premier tourist destination, potential visitors are being driven away by prohibitive costs. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture has already sounded the alarm, warning that airfare hikes are deterring tourists who now prefer foreign destinations over the Valley. The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called out the contradiction—on one hand, officials are promoting Kashmir’s tourism potential, while on the other, unchecked airfare inflation is making travel unaffordable. If demand for flights to Srinagar is genuinely high, as airlines claim, then increasing flight frequency should be the solution, not relentless price hikes that exploit travelers.
This situation is not new. In 2021, an investigation was launched into suspected price manipulation, with allegations that airline staff were bulk-selling tickets to agents in violation of regulations. Yet, despite mounting complaints, no concrete action has been taken. The Ministry of Tourism has engaged with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, but without regulatory intervention, the issue remains unresolved. While train fares in India are controlled to ensure affordability, airlines operate in a free-market vacuum where supply-and-demand logic is weaponized against the common traveler.
The government cannot afford to remain passive spectators. Airlines must be mandated to increase flights during peak seasons rather than resorting to profiteering. Fare caps on high-dependency routes like Srinagar must be seriously considered. Transparency in ticketing must be enforced to prevent hoarding and resale at inflated rates. Above all, Kashmir’s transportation infrastructure must be reimagined to reduce its over-reliance on air travel, ensuring that no traveler—resident or tourist—is priced out of reaching the Valley.
Kashmir’s isolation is not just geographical; it is now economic, imposed by an unchecked aviation industry that has turned necessity into privilege. If this crisis is allowed to persist, the consequences will stretch far beyond lost tourism revenues. It will be a silent but powerful force, eroding opportunities, stifling mobility, and deepening the disconnect between Kashmir and the rest of the country. The time to act is now.
