IndiGo’s inaugural flight to Ayodhya from Ahmedabad saw its cabin crew members dressed up as Hindu gods Ram, Lakshman, Hanuman and Sita. The flight service was launched on Thursday, January 11, by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath through a virtual event held at his official residence.
A video from the Ahmedabad airport showed an announcer dressed as Ram – wearing traditional clothes in golden colour along with a crown and decked with ornaments – making the announcement to the passengers. In another video, when the cabin crew arrive dressed as Ram, Lakshman,Sita and Hanuman, the Indigo staff and others chant slogans of ‘Jai Sri Ram.’
Inaugurating the flight service, CM Yogi said "With this direct flight, Ayodhya has become directly connected to Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is the second place after Delhi to be connected to Ayodhya through air service. Starting from January 15, there will also be flight services between Ayodhya and Mumbai." He said that another flight service between Delhi and Ayodhya will start on January 16. He further highlighted that improved air services contribute significantly to tourism and business activities.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister claimed that Ayodhya is now a sought-after destination for everyone, and the government has improved its connectivity by road, rail, and air, aligning with the Prime Minister's vision. Discussing IndiGo Airlines' presence in Uttar Pradesh, he mentioned that IndiGo is providing flight services from 8 cities in Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kanpur, Agra, Prayagraj, Bareilly, and Ayodhya. The number of flights is continuously increasing, he said.
Meanwhile, SpiceJet airlines, on Friday, January 12, announced a special flight operation from Delhi to Ayodhya on January 21 catering to passengers attending the inaugural ceremony at the Ram temple the following day. An official said that the airline will also operate a return flight on the same day to ensure a seamless travel experience for devotees. The special flight from Delhi is scheduled to depart at 1.30 pm, reaching Ayodhya by 3 pm. The return flight on the following day will take off at 5 pm, landing in Delhi at 6.30 pm.
Online travel company MakeMyTrip said that it has seen a 1,806 per cent increase in searches for Ayodhya on the platform since the announcement of the inauguration. The company shared the data on Instagram, saying that it recorded a 97% growth in searches for spiritual destinations in the last two years. The company also mentioned that the peak search for Ayodhya was recorded on December 30 last year when the airport inauguration took place.
The top 10 pilgrimage and spiritual destinations which have seen growth in searches include -- Ayodhya (585%), Ujjain (359%), Badrinath (343%), Amarnath (329%), Kedarnath (322%), Mathura (223%), Dwarkadhish (193%), Shirdi (181%), Haridwar (117%), and Bodh Gaya (114%).
Ayodhya is also being searched globally, with the maximum search coming from -- US (22.5%), Gulf (22.2%), Canada (9.3%), Nepal (6.6%), and Australia (6.1%), the company said.