Bhubaneswar, Dec. 8 -- With the festive season unfolding, many travellers have found it increasingly difficult to celebrate with trips as air ticket prices have surged. Ticket costs have reportedly tripled in the last month, leaving would-be passengers disheartened.

This sudden escalation is attributed by many to airlines' profit-oriented policies, prompting calls for action from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Flights between Bhubaneswar and major hubs like New Delhi and Bengaluru, which previously cost around Rs 6,000, now range from Rs 11,000 to Rs 23,000, with advance bookings offering little reprieve.

Such increases pose a significant challenge to middle-class families, whose dreams of air travel were bolstered b...