Cloud Of Uncertainty Over Direct Flights To Bhubaneswar & Kolkata From Jharsuguda

By OB Bureau On Oct 12, 2023

Jharsuguda: Alliance Air has reportedly decided to stop operations to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata from Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Odisha’s Jharsuguda from October 29 due to a fall in flight occupancy.

On September 11, the airline, in a letter to principal secretary of aviation in the state government, stated that it has been operating Kolkata-Bhubaneswar-Jharsuguda flights even after the completion 3-year RCS-UDAN tenure but the traffic load for these sectors has drastically dropped due to price-sensitive passengers, making it difficult to sustain those flight on a commercial basis.

It has sought viability gap funding (VGF) from the government for smooth running of fights to Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar and Raipur.

“I am not aware of any such development as the winter schedule of flights is yet to be released. I will inform as and when it comes,” Airport director Sandeep Tiwari was quoted as saying by TOI.

Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, started its operations between Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar and Veer Surendra Sai (VSS) Airport in Jharsuguda under the Centre’s UDAN scheme in June 2019. In January 2020, the airline commenced its daily flight service between Jharsuguda and Kolkata.