40K Flight Fares After Pahalgam Attack? Pune Tourists Trapped in Kashmir, Activists Slam Airlines, Demand Govt Rescue

In one of the most deadly attacks on civilians in the Baisaran meadows in the upper reaches of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, a mood of fear has gripped the tourists icluding Punekars who are still stuck there.

The people are scared and want to come back home sooner, but they're struggling to do so as the airline industry has increased fares from Jammu to Pune. Activists and residents of Pune are slamming the airline industry for the hike in prices.

Dr. Vishwambhar Chaudhari, a social activist, said, "Our airlines, who find opportunity in every crisis, seem to have no shame. Both these companies were launched as low-cost airlines. They took the liberty of offering nothing — not even water on board. Gradually, they increased their fares to such an extent that there's no understanding left of why they should still be called low-cost. Is there no authority regulating them?"

Activist Demand Govt Rescue

Aniket Rathi, a resident of Pune, said, "What happened in Pahalgam is inhumane. Imagine the mental stress and the amount of fear the tourists are facing. In a time of crisis, when they want to come back home, they are stranded because the airline industry has increased their prices. In situations like these, the government should step in and help people who are stuck. The attack has created a lot of fear amongst the tourists, and they are in panic. The administration and state government should do something to bring them back safely. During COVID, they brought Indians back from other countries, so this time it should not be a problem bringing them back."

Prices went up to ₹40,000

Prasad Sawant, a resident of Hadapsar who is stuck in Jammu, said, "Yesterday was day one of our trip, and we went to Pahalgam. But before reaching the meadows, six km away, the locals informed us about the killings that had happened, so we came back to our hotel rooms and were shocked to see the videos and photos of the attack. We then started looking for flights since evening, and the prices went up to ₹40,000. We are 70 people stuck here, and we come from a middle-class background — this is too much for us."

"So we contacted the Pune district control room and then also called Union Minister and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol, as he is also the aviation minister. He assured us that by today, the state government will send List 1 to rescue 250 people from Srinagar to Pune, and it will be funded by the government. It's a big relief, but we condemn the airline companies for increasing the fare. We have a lot of people from other districts of Maharashtra, and they want to go back home, but the flight ticket prices are skyrocketing, and people are really scared. We request the Kashmir government, Delhi government, Centre, and Maharashtra government to bring us back home," he added.

Sidharth Dhende, Ex-Mayor of Pune, said, "It is shameful that airlines are looting people in a panic situation. We don't know if the people who are stuck there have money or not — they are already going through mental pressure, and I urge the government to bring them back free of cost."

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