Soon, four UP cities to get air connectivity

LUCKNOW: Soon, four major districts of the state will have air connectivity with the other cities in the country. Under regional connectivity scheme, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Varanasi are going to have air connectivity with five other cities from January. Lucknow would have flights for Gwalior from January, while Kanpur would get Kanpur-DelhiKanpur flight under the regional connectivity scheme. Kanpur will get another flight which will be Delhi-Kanpur–Varanasi.

LUCKNOW: Soon, four major districts of the state will have air connectivity with the other cities in the country.

Under regional connectivity scheme, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Varanasi are going to have air connectivity with five other cities from January.

The Government of India and Airports Authority of India (AAI) have finalized the routes for the flights after studying the air traffic between these cities.

According to the officials of the AAI, Lucknow would have flights for Gwalior from January, while Kanpur had got long awaited Kanpur-Delhi-Kanpur flight under the regional connectivity scheme.

Kanpur will get another flight which will be Delhi-Kanpur– Varanasi.

Besides, Agra will also get two new flights, Agra–JaipurAgra and Agra–Delhi which are expected to boost tourism in the city.

Airlines like Spicejet, Alliance Air, Deccan Charters and Air Odisha will start flights for these routes while more private airlines have shown willingness to start their operations on these routes agreed during the regime of the Samajwadi government.

The regional connectivity scheme has made small distance air travelling much convenient. Under the scheme, in a 20-seater plane, the journey costs ₹4,500.

Out of this, the centre gives ₹1,600 and state gives ₹400 as subsidy on 50% of the seats.

So, a passenger has to pay just ₹2,500.

The state government has decided to give the go ahead for flight connectivity from 15 divisional headquarters to Lucknow earlier in the month of March.

According to an official of the AAI, regional connectivity would increase business of the airports and would fasten the pace of travel between the cities.

The new routes will include Spice jet Kanpur-Delhi-Kanpur flights, Alliance Air’s Agra–Jaipur-Agra flights, Deccan Charters’ Delhi-Agra–Delhi flights, Air Odisha’s Delhi–KanpurVaranasi flight and LucknowGwalior-Lucknow flights.