Chennai, Aug 22:
With Malayalis in Chennai and neighbouring districts heading home to celebrate Onam with their families, passenger traffic on flights to Kerala has surged sharply, pushing up airfares several times above normal levels on the Chennai-Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur sectors.
Onam, one of Kerala’s biggest festivals, will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 26. The festival is observed over several days with families traditionally gathering in their hometowns to celebrate together.
Much like Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Onam is celebrated by Malayalis cutting across caste and religious lines. People living in other states and abroad usually travel back home days in advance to join family members and relatives for the festivities.
With the weekend coinciding with the upcoming festival, a large number of Kerala residents living in Chennai and surrounding districts have begun their journey home from Saturday. While special trains and buses are being operated to cater to the festive rush, many passengers are opting for flights to save travel time.
As a result, flights from Chennai to major Kerala destinations, including Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur, are witnessing heavy demand. The rush has also led to a steep increase in ticket prices.
The usual airfare on the Chennai-Kochi sector, which is around Rs 5,336, has surged to Rs 14,843. Similarly, the Chennai-Thiruvananthapuram fare has increased from around Rs 5,853 to Rs 14,700.
On the Chennai-Kozhikode route, fares have risen from the usual Rs 6,158 to Rs 17,678. Ticket prices on the Chennai-Kannur sector have also jumped from around Rs 5,655 to Rs 12,270. Some connecting options to Kannur via Kochi were quoted as high as Rs 21,694.
Passengers said the steep increase in fares had come as a shock, particularly for families travelling home for the festival. However, many said they were willing to pay the higher prices to spend Onam with their loved ones.
The festive rush is expected to continue in the coming days as more Malayalis travel to Kerala ahead of Onam. Passengers have also called for the operation of additional flights from Chennai to Kerala destinations during major festival seasons to meet the increased demand and help moderate ticket prices.
Despite the sharp rise in fares, the mood at Chennai airport remained festive, with passengers setting off enthusiastically to celebrate Onam with family and friends in their hometowns.