The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued the aerodrome license for Ambikapur airport in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district to start flight operations, officials said on Saturday.

Maa Mahamaya Airport, Ambikapur, has been developed in the 3-C VFR category to expand air services in the state, a public relations department official said.

An application, seeking a license to start air services from the airport, was submitted to the DGCA in December 2022. The aviation regulator on Friday granted the license to the state government for Ambikapur Airport, he said.

With this, the state now has three licensed airports -- Bilaspur, Jagdalpur and Ambikapur under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS), he added.

The license has paved the way for the operation of 72-seater flights from Ambikapur, he added.

The state government has already been making efforts to start air service from Ambikapur Airport to Raipur, Bilaspur, Lucknow, Patna, and Ranchi.

With the commencement of flights from Ambikapur, tourism and commercial activities in the northern region of the state will get a boost and facilitate the development of the region, the official said.

Meanwhile, the state government also signed a memorandum of understating (MoU) with the Centre-run Alliance Air on Friday to start regular commercial flight services from Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) to Delhi and Kolkata, and Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) to Delhi via Jabalpur by the end of this month, he noted.

The chief minister inaugurated flight services from Bilaspur to Delhi and Kolkata on March 12, while the flight service Delhi-Jabalpur- Jagdalpur-Jabalpur-Delhi was also launched on the same day, the official said.

Now, after the pact, the flight services on the three routes will be regular from the month-end, he added.

As per the MoU, the state will provide financial assistance to the airline company to compensate for the loss based on the cost revenue model in case of non-availability of passengers on the flights.

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in a post on X thanked IOC “for extending the benefits of completion of cost recovery of capital expenditure and inter-island price rationalisation to the people of Lakshadweep by reducing fuel prices.”

“The move will improve #EaseofLiving and #EaseofBusiness for the people and ensure a bright future for the islands, which are poised to become major hubs of global tourism. Truly #ViksitBharat,” he said. “It is #ModiKiGuarantee that all parts of the country benefit from good governance.”