Mumbai, March 26: Air fares between Mumbai and Chandigarh have shot through the roof following India's entry into the World Cup semifinal against Pakistan to be played in Mohali on March 30.
A day after the Indian team beat the Aussies, fares to Chandigarh — the venue for the semi-final — doubled instantly, says a media report. India will take on Pakistan on Wednesday at Mohali, Chandigarh.
City-based tour operators saw a sudden surge in demand for bookings to Chandigarh, a sector which doesn't otherwise have much demand from Mumbai.
The usual one-way fare between Mumbai and Chandigarh is between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000. However, on the day of the match, the highest fare available is anywhere between Rs 18,000 and Rs 22,000.
Mumbai has only three direct flights to Chandigarh and they are left with very few seats for the coming Wednesday.
‘‘Just after India's victory, I booked at least eight people to Chandigarh on a oneway fare of more than Rs 20,000,'' said Rajesh Rateria, managing director, Cirrus Travels.
The fares are high for Wednesday as most people want to fly out, watch the match and return by the first flight on Thursday.
This way, they won't have to take more leave from work. Tour operators reasoned that the rise in fares is due to the fact that there are few flights to Chandigarh from the city.
Compared to Delhi, Mumbai has only three direct flights to Chandigarh, said a travel agent.
The fare between Delhi and Chandigarh is lower because nine flights operate daily between these destinations.
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