This story is from August 4, 2019

Government wants AI to run Indore-Dubai flight via Bhopal

The state government has swung into action to improve the existing air connectivity at the Raja Bhoj airport in the state capital. Chief secretary SR Mohanty has written a letter to Air India as well as Airports Authority of India (AAI) to run the recently launched Indore-Dubai international flight from Bhopal for two to three days in a week.
Government wants AI to run Indore-Dubai flight via Bhopal
The letter has stated that since Bhopal is the state capital, there is a need for a direct Dubai flight
BHOPAL: The state government has swung into action to improve the existing air connectivity at the Raja Bhoj airport in the state capital. Chief secretary SR Mohanty has written a letter to Air India as well as Airports Authority of India (AAI) to run the recently launched Indore-Dubai international flight from Bhopal for two to three days in a week.
Mohanty has also requested the AAI to operate flights on routes which were decided under UDAN, the regional connectivity scheme, which was undertaken by the Central government in 2017.

Citing a meeting organized on June 17, the chief secretary said that the issue of commencement of international services from Bhopal airport came up for deliberation with the CMD of Air India, Ashwani Lohani.
Mohanty added that the AAI was requested to prepare customs and immigration facilities only on the receipt of a commitment letter from airline operators for starting international services. In this background a requisite letter from Air India is requested, the letter added.
The letter stated that since Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh, there is an urgent need for direct flights to Dubai and the Middle East. Therefore, it is requested to favourably view the possibility of commencing international flights from the city. Mohanty suggested that for a start, the recently introduced international service from Indore may be routed via Bhopal for two to three days in a week.
Air India may also consider aerial connectivity from Bhopal to other cities including Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Gwalior, Kolkata, Lucknow and Patna.

Mohanty also wrote a letter to Pradeep Singh Kharola, the secretary of the Union ministry of civil aviation. He stated in the letter that as per regional connectivity scheme phase-II and phase-III, aerial connectivity has been approved between Bhopal-Udaipur, Indore-Prayagraj and Gwalior with Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Jammu, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bhopal. It was requested in the letter to direct the concerned airline operators to operationalize the awarded routes.
Besides, the state government has also sent a letter dated June 29, for including Birwa, Chhindwara, Datia, Mandla, Neemuch, Pachmarhi, Rewa, Satna and Umaria during the bidding for routes under the fourth phase of UDAN.
The chief secretary has also requested AAI chairman Anuj Aggarwal that cooperation is solicited for developing the Raja Bhoj airport as a cargo hub. Around 50 acres land has been allotted to start the cargo operations.
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