The long wait for improved air connectivity to major cities will end with flight services to Kolkata finally scheduled to commence from the Rourkela airport starting September 1.
The information was shared by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.
The Alliance Air (AA), which was chosen via bidding under the Regional Connectivity Scheme- Udey Desh ka Aam Nagarik (RCS-UDAN) as the selected airline operator for the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route, will provide the services for the new route. It will modify the flight schedule of its ATR-72 aircraft, currently operating in the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route, to cater to the Rourkela-Kolkata route via Bhubaneswar.
According to its tentative flight schedule, the normal operation of ATR-72 will continue on the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar route for seven days. For four days in a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, the modified route schedule will be between Kolkata and Bhubaneswar via Rourkela. The flight will depart from Kolkata at 11.40 am and reach Rourkela at 1.10 pm. It will depart for Bhubaneswar at 1.35 pm and arrive at Bhubaneswar at 2.30 pm. The aircraft will depart from Bhubaneswar at 2.55 pm and reach Rourkela at 3.50 pm. It will then leave Rourkela at 4.15 pm and reach Kolkata at 5.45pm where it will halt for the night.
On the rest three days, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the route will be in the opposite direction, i.e., Kolkata and Rourkela via Bhubaneswar. The aircraft will leave Kolkata at 1.10 pm and reach Bhubaneswar at 2.40 pm. It will depart from Bhubaneswar at 3.05 pm and reach Rourkela at 4 pm. It will then depart from Rourkela at 4.25 pm and reach Bhubaneswar at 5.20 pm. It will again fly at 5.45 pm and reach Kolkata at 7.15 pm for night halt.
