New Delhi (TIP)- In its original form, Maha Kumbh is considered a gathering of saints, mystics and devotees. This year’s congregation was significant in at least one more aspect: it turned out to be a ‘kumbh’ of aircraft as well. The domestic airport in Prayagraj welcomed a record number of flights during this period.
As per data verified by India Today’s Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) team, the domestic airport in Prayagraj saw more than 2,000 flights during the Maha Kumbh between January 13 and February 26. Before its start, the Prayagraj Airport handled around 15 daily flight movements. Cut to February 18, this number surged to a record 120.
On average, the Prayagraj Airport handled over 100 flights per day, a seven-fold jump from its pre-Kumbh daily average. Open-source flight tracking data reveals 2,158 flight movements during the Maha Kumbh.
The daily maximum of 49 flights landed at Prayagraj Airport on February 22-23, ahead of Maha Shivratri on February 26 and the festival’s conclusion. A similar trend of spike in flight arrivals was observed before other Shahi Snan days, with 15 flights on Makar Sankranti (January 14), 22 on Mauni Amavasya (January 29), 22 on Basant Panchami (February 3), and 27 on Maghi Purnima (February 12).
Delhi was the biggest source of flights to Prayagraj during the 45-day period, with 383 flights originating from the national capital. It was followed by Mumbai (159), Bengaluru (101), Ahmedabad (92), Hyderabad (78), and Kolkata (76).
Beyond metros, domestic airports such as Agra (2), Varanasi (3), Kochi (1), Guwahati (11), Bhopal (2), Pune (6), Dehradun (4), and Bilaspur (5) also ferried passengers to Prayagraj. Additionally, 18 flights arrived from Jaipur, while nine originated from Indore. Source: India Today