Now Reading: MP launches four direct flights to Patna, Kolkata
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MP launches four direct flights to Patna, Kolkata
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off four new direct flights from Bhopal on Sunday. Operated by Alliance Air, the routes are…
The Story in Brief
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off four new direct flights from Bhopal on Sunday. Operated by Alliance Air, the routes are Bhopal-Rewa, Bhopal-Patna, Rewa-Kolkata and Jabalpur-Kolkata. The Bhopal-Rewa flight will run four days a week, while the other three will operate three days a week. Yadav said road or rail travel between these cities takes 12-24 hours, while air travel will cut it to two to two-and-a-half hours.
The state government is providing viability gap funding of up to Rs 10 lakh per round trip under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy-2025, reports Swarajya Mag. The chief minister also announced that an international Bhopal-Sharjah service is expected to start within two months. Madhya Pradesh has gained three new airports in three years, Rewa, Satna and Datia, and five more are approved.
The Indian Opinion
The new flights will save time for travellers, but the sustainability of these routes depends on demand. The state is offering Rs 10 lakh per round trip as viability gap funding, a generous subsidy that raises questions about long-term viability. Are these routes being launched for genuine connectivity or for political optics ahead of elections? The real test will be whether these flights continue after the subsidy runs out, or if they fizzle like many UDAN routes elsewhere.
Sources (2): newindianexpress.com, swarajyamag.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
