Karipur: The fare cut announced by airlines operating from Kozhikode airport for this year’s Hajj season has turned out to be largely nominal. While airlines have reduced ticket prices by ₹18,000 compared with last year, passengers flying from Kozhikode will still have to pay ₹18,000 to ₹22,000 more than those travelling from the country’s 18 other Hajj embarkation points. The gap last year was ₹40,000.

The new fare from Karipur has been fixed at ₹1.07 lakh. New entrant Akasa Air will operate services from Kozhikode, while Saudi budget carrier Flynas will run services from Kochi, where the fare is ₹87,697. Another Saudi low-cost airline, Flydeal, will operate from Kannur, with fares set at ₹89,737.

Air India and Saudia also took part in the tender process. In 2024, the fare from Karipur was ₹1.25 lakh, with the difference between Kozhikode and Kannur standing at ₹40,000. Airlines attribute the continuing fare gap to restrictions that allow only smaller aircraft to operate from Kozhikode.

This year, the difference with Kannur has narrowed to ₹18,000–₹19,000. The high cost has, however, discouraged many pilgrims from opting for Kozhikode. While 7,936 people registered from Nedumbassery and 4,929 from Kannur, only 920 have registered from Kozhikode.

Kozhikode was once Kerala’s sole Hajj embarkation point, but that status was extended to other airports during the Covid-19 pandemic.