Union Min Ram Mohan Naidu, MP CM Mohan Yadav flag off 4 new flight services
Bhopal, August 9
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav and others attended the flag-off ceremony of four new flight services from Raja Bhoj Airport at Bhopal.
The four new direct air services of the region include Bhopal-Rewa, Bhopal-Patna, Rewa-Kolkata and Jabalpur-Kolkata air routes, according to the CMO release.
Bhopal-Rewa direct flight service will strengthen air connectivity within the region. This will strengthen direct air connectivity between capital Bhopal and the Vindhya region. Similarly, Bhopal-Patna direct flight will directly connect the capital of Madhya Pradesh with the capital of Bihar.
Union Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Sameer Kumar Sinha, Airport Authority of India Chairman Vipin Kumar, Alliance Air Chairman Amit Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Aviation, Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Aviation Commissioner Chandramouli Shukla, Bhopal Airport Director Alok Tripathi and other dignitaries were present in the program.
The introduction of these new services will further strengthen the intra- and inter-state air connectivity of the region. These services will be operated by Alliance Air. All these domestic airlines are being provided financial assistance under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) up to Rs 10 lakh will be provided by the state government on each round trip, as per the release.
According to the release, this will facilitate movement between the two states and provide convenience to travellers, traders and businessmen with a large population of Bihar residing in Madhya Pradesh. The commencement of direct air services between Rewa-Kolkata and Jabalpur-Kolkata will strengthen the air connectivity of these two important cities of the region with Kolkata and East India.
So far 8 new air routes have been approved under the policy. Air services on four of these routes have not yet started, while services on four new routes are being started. The first routes launched under the policy include Rewa-Delhi, Rewa-Indore, Rewa-Raipur and Indore-Abu Dhabi, as stated in the release.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally! Bhopal-Patna direct flight is such a relief for all the Bihar students and professionals working in MP. We have a huge population from Bihar here, and this will save so much time. But I hope the ticket prices remain affordable - VGF support should benefit the common passenger, not just the airlines.
Good to see smaller cities getting connected. Jabalpur-Kolkata route will help many families who travel regularly for medical treatment or business. The Rs 10 lakh VGF per trip seems like a solid subsidy. But we need to ensure these flights operate on time - that's the real challenge in Indian aviation!
I appreciate the effort, but why only Alliance Air? The regional connectivity schemes often suffer from reliability issues. Also, let's not forget that earlier flights like Rewa-Delhi were announced with much fanfare but had to be cancelled due to poor response. I hope the government has done proper market research this time.
Very positive move! 🇮🇳 The Rewa-Kolkata connection is especially important for business communities in both regions. MP's aviation policy is one of the most progressive in central India. Once the other 4 approved routes start, we'll have truly comprehensive coverage. Thumbs up to the state government!
As someone who travels between Bhopal and Patna frequently for work, this is a welcome development. The current train journey takes over 24 hours; this flight will reduce it to 90 minutes! However, I hope the government also works on improving road connectivity to the smaller airports - reaching the airport is half the
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