Amravati-Pune flight gets nod under revised UDAN; Indore service proposed with three airlines
The Amravati-Pune route has been included in the revised UDAN scheme, while MADC has written to three airlines about an Indore flight from Belora.
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There is good news for the people of Amravati, with hopes of an Amravati-Pune air service reviving. A press release said the route has been included in the revised UDAN scheme. Rajya Sabha member Dr Anil Bonde is said to have pursued the service persistently.
Meanwhile, moves have also begun to start a flight from Amravati's airport at Belora to Indore. This has raised hopes for air connectivity in western Vidarbha. If a direct service starts, education, trade, tourism and industry could get a boost, and western Vidarbha's development could take a new direction.
Pune is an important centre for education, IT, industry and trade. Students, businesspeople, industrialists and working professionals from western Vidarbha, including Amravati, have to travel to Pune for various purposes. A direct flight could make the journey easier for them.
The Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) has taken the initiative for the Indore service. In information shared on social media, the company's vice-chairman and managing director Deepak Kapoor said that IndiGo, Star Air and Fly91 had been written to. However, no official date has yet been announced for when the Indore flight will begin.
Indore is a major business centre of central India. Many traders and industrialists of Amravati have to travel to Indore. At present, they have to go by road, and the rail journey involves a long detour. If a direct air service starts, traders, industrialists and tourists could save time, and economic ties between the two cities could grow stronger.
For now, a Mumbai-Amravati-Mumbai air service operates from Belora airport four days a week. Passengers are demanding regular flights to Pune, Delhi and Indore as well. Although the inclusion of the Amravati-Pune route in the revised UDAN scheme has come to light, official announcements are still awaited on when the service will begin, which airline will operate it, the timetable and the fares. People in Amravati are therefore watching for the next decisions to improve air links.
