Uttar Pradesh: Prayagraj airport sees major expansion, 132 flights operating during Mahakumbh 2025

A total of 132 flights both direct and indirect are currently operating from 17 cities to Prayagraj the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on MondayIn a statement the Ministry announced that Prayagraj airport has transformed into a modern gateway to the city of devotion culture and the grand Mahakumbh Mahotsav Major expansion efforts have been undertaken to accommodate the influx of devotees from January 13 to February 26 2025On December 8 2024 Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu reviewed the progress of terminal expansion construction and traveler amenities issuing timebound directives Regular inspections and review meetings with state authorities DGCA BCAS and AAI ensured the timely completion of the projectsOn January 9 2025 Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol also reviewed the work progress at Prayagraj airport To facilitate the sacred journey 81 additional new flights were introduced in January 2025Currently there are 132 flights operating with approximately 80000 monthly seats to Prayagraj from across India The city is now directly connected to 17 cities up from eight in December 2024 Additionally with direct and connecting flights reaching 26 cities including Srinagar and Visakhapatnam Prayagraj has become a wellconnected hub for devoteesAs per the directions of Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu measures have been taken to ensure that airfares remain in check as the festivals peak days approach especially during the forthcoming Shahi Sanan on January 29 February 3 and other important Snan on February 4 February 12 and February 26 2025 The DGCA has advised airlines to ensure sufficient capacity to accommodate passengersAkasa Air will begin operating flights on January 28 and 29 connecting Ahmedabad to Prayagraj In February the airline plans to operate 9 flights from Ahmedabad and 12 from Bangalore to Prayagraj adding approximately 4000 seatsSpiceJet is set to launch flight services between Delhi Chennai Guwahati Bangalore Ahmedabad Mumbai Jaipur and Hyderabad to Prayagraj adding approximately 43000 seats in February 2025 These new flights are part of ongoing efforts to ensure regional connectivity and accommodate the influx of travelers to Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh periodDuring the Maha Kumbh the airport saw 30172 passengers and operated 226 flights in just one week surpassing 5000 passengers in a single day for the first time Night flights were also introduced enabling 247 connectivity for the first timeThe airports modernisation included expanding the terminal area from 6700 square metres to 25500 square metres reconfiguring the old terminal to handle 1080 peakhour passengers up from 540 and operationalising a new terminal for 1620 passengersParking capacity increased from 200 to 600 vehicles checkin counters rose from 8 to 42 and XBISHB machines increased to 10 from four Aircraft movement efficiency was enhanced with an additional taxi track parking bays increased from four to 15 conveyor belts from two to five and airport gates from four to 11 Additional aerobridges and more security infrastructure including doorframed metal detectors were addedPassenger comfort saw notable improvements with the addition of lounges a child care room and more boarding bridges increased from two to six Food and beverage counters were also increased complemented by the UDAN Yatri Cafe for affordable food New services include meetandgreet assistance for differentlyabled individuals prepaid taxi counters and a city bus service in collaboration with the UP GovernmentMedical facilities were bolstered with ambulance deployment and air ambulance services Pilgrims arriving at the airport are also greeted with floral welcomes for a warm start to their journeyThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever