Shortly after coming across a social media post about a flight service between Lucknow and Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Vaibhav Tripathi decided to fly with his mother, who had never travelled by air, to their hometown. It was meant to be a birthday gift — a gesture of gratitude for the years she spent doing odd jobs, including working as a farm labourer, to fund his education at an Industrial Training Institute.

“Now that I earn ₹25,000 a month, I thought of flying her to our home in Azamgarh on her birthday as, according to the social media post, fares were between ₹1,500 and ₹2,000 per person,” said the 32-year-old, who works as a refrigeration and air conditioner technician at a private firm in Lucknow.