Incessant rains have caused landslides on the Ghat sections, severely disrupting travel between Bengaluru and Mangaluru. A hill collapse at Shiroor has also blocked road travel towards Mumbai, forcing residents of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi to rely on trains and flights.
Airlines, instead of increasing the number of flights, have hiked ticket prices dramatically. Normally, airfare between Mangaluru and Bengaluru is around Rs 3,000. However, monsoon season has tripled this price to Rs 9,000, and on Sundays, fares soar to Rs 16,000. The Mangaluru-Mumbai route now costs over Rs 12,000.
Adding to the woes, airlines have reduced the number of flights. Air India canceled two out of six daily flights to Bengaluru since July 1, leaving only four fully booked flights. Similarly, five daily flights to Mumbai are also running at full capacity. Entrepreneur Dilraj Alva criticizes the price hike, calling it unjust to raise prices instead of increasing flight availability to meet high demand.
The high demand for trains has prompted MP Captain Brijesh Chowta to appeal for more services. In response, the railway department is running special trains from July 19 to 22, with two additional trains to Bengaluru every day during this period.
Flight tickets on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru route are unavailable until July 31. A few tickets are available on flights via Mumbai or Hyderabad, but direct options remain scarce.