Ayodhya Ram Mandir: After SpiceJet, Akasa Air Announces Direct Flights To Ayodhya From Feb 15; Check Routes

As preparations are in full swing in Ayodhya for the much-awaited 'pran pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla idol at the Ram Temple on January 22, 2024, Akasa Air has announced flights from Pune via Delhi to Ayodhya. With this Ayodhya has become the 18th destination of the low-cost carrier's domestic network. The one-stop flights will start from 15 February. The announcement comes after other industry peers including IndiGo, and Air India Express announced flights to Ayodhya. According to the airline, the flights have been introduced for daytime travel during prime hours for the convenience of passengers.

The morning flight will run daily and depart from Pune at 8:50 am and will reach Ayodhya at 12.55 pm with one stop in Delhi. Travelers can now book flights on Akasa Air's website, Android and iOS app, or through leading OTAs.

In this regard, Praveen Iyer, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Akasa Air was quoted by News18 as saying "Akasa Air was set up with a purpose to connect people, cultures and regions and the addition of Ayodhya to our growing network is a testament to our commitment. The city of Ayodhya has immense spiritual, religious, and cultural significance and by connecting it to two major hubs - Delhi and Pune we will provide ease of access to people traveling while also bolstering economic growth, trade, and regional development."

Notably, Gurgaon-headquartered budget airline SpiceJet recently announced that it is set to launch non-stop flights connecting Ayodhya with three Indian cities - Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai from February 1, 2024.
The airline said it will deploy its 189-seater Boeing 737 aircraft on the said routes. Prior to this, the carrier had announced that it would operate a special flight from Delhi to Ayodhya on January 21. Besides, IndiGo has also announced direct flights between Mumbai and Ayodhya from 15 January.

The airline also started direct flights between Delhi and Ayodhya. Air India Express has also announced operations on this route.

PM Modi inaugurated the newly built Ayodhya Airport- Maharishi Valmiki International Airport on December 30. SpiceJet shares were spotted trading 0.36% higher at Rs 64.62 per share at 9:32 am IST today.