Wings Clipped: AAI Cancels UDAN Licence Of Air Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has cancelled UDAN (Ude Deshka Aam Nagrik) licence of Air Odisha.

According to official sources, the AAI took the decision as Air Odisha authorities, on the pretext of technical glitch, had stopped regular flights under the UDAN scheme.

The private airline was informed about cancellation of UDAN licence through a letter on November 19.

With this, Air Odisha cannot operate its flights in the entire eastern region, including Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand. The airline also cannot resume the Bhubaneswar-Raipur and Raipur-Jagdalpur services, which it had launched this year.

AAI sources said that the Air Odisha, which had obtained the UDAN licence for operation from the four aforesaid states five months ago under the UDAN scheme, could fly only 30 per cent flights so far.

The cancellation of the licence has raised uncertainty over the viability of the recently-inaugurated Jharsuguda airport.

It may be recalled that Jharsuguda Congress MLA Naba Das had sought the intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the matter and requested him to take up the matter with the Civil Aviation Ministry to regularise the Air Odisha flight from the Jharsuguda airport.

The Chief Minister had also requested the Ministry in this regard. This was followed by the directive of the Union Petroleum and National Gas minister to the Air Odisha authorities to ensure regular flight operation failing which the Centre would be forced to cancel their licence.