Ayyappas flying in on the rise

KOCHI: Don’t be surprised if you see an Ayyappa facilitation centre in front of the domestic terminal at  the Cochin International  Airport. Such a centre might have to be opened if  the rise in the number of Sabarimala pilgrims flying in to Kerala is any indication. Gone are the days when Ayyappa devotees squeezed their way in crowded buses and trains to reach the divine destination.The number of pilgrims taking the flight to Kerala is on the rise. Travel agents and airline officials say that  there was an average increase of 10 per cent in the number of Ayyappa devotees travelling via Cochin airport.“This is one of good result that the ‘open sky policy’ has brought in,” Travel Agents Federation of India Kerala chapter chairman Paulose K Mathew said. “There’s an average increase  of 10 to 15 per cent in the number of Sabarimala pilgrims. Of this, a major chunk of passengers are from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai,” he said.There are multiple reasons why pilgrims fly in. It’s  tough to get train tickets during the Sabarimala season unless you pocket it  atleast two months in advance.  Chennai-Kochi II A/C ticket costs Rs 1,300, while airfares start from Rs 2,000. Time is another factor. Kochi is linked to these metros by air in a maximum one -and-a-half hours.  “A devotee from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh can complete his pilgrimage within three days whereas by train it would take seven to eight days.” Paulose said.Many airlines offer competitive fares too. A sales manager with a leading low-cost carrier said: “We used to offer five to 10 per cent discount for a group comprising minimum ten passengers. Other facilities include through check-in for connection flights and group check-in for a group,” he said.