MP Gurumurthy Flags High Hyderabad–Tirupati Airfares, Seeks Centre’s Intervention
MP urged the Centre to intervene and regulate fares to make air travel affordable for pilgrims
Tirupati: Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumurthy has expressed concern over the steep rise in airfares on the Hyderabad–Tirupati route, stating that the pricing is contrary to the objectives of the government’s regional connectivity policy.
In a letter to civil aviation minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, the MP urged the Centre to intervene and regulate fares to make air travel affordable for pilgrims and regular passengers visiting Tirupati for darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
He noted that while fares on routes such as Hyderabad–Delhi range between Rs 3,400 and Rs 7,000 and Hyderabad–Mumbai between Rs 3,500 and Rs 6,000, the Hyderabad–Tirupati sector is significantly higher, ranging from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,500 and in some cases rising up to Rs 14,500.
Gurumurthy said the frequent price surge is placing a burden on middle-class and elderly pilgrims and observed that fares have increased sharply in recent months.
Citing passenger data, he said about 11,84,355 passengers travelled on the route between April 2025 and March 2026 through 13,367 flight services, while 88,405 passengers used 864 services in March 2026 alone.
He said despite 16–17 daily flights operating on the route, ticket prices have not stabilised. The MP attributed the rise to the use of smaller aircraft with limited seating capacity.
He added that the situation goes against the objectives of the UDAN scheme aimed at improving regional air connectivity. He sought regulation of peak fares, increase in flight frequency, and deployment of higher-capacity aircraft on the route.
