The national air carrier Air India seems to be following in national transporter Indian Railways’ footsteps in expansion of its services. While Indian Railways recently introduced good number of passenger trains in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, Air India too has chalked out newer routes to these two States. These are Bhatinda in Punjab and Kanpur in UP.
After starting the Chandigarh-Sharjah flight services last month, this month the national carrier will fly to Bhatinda. Similarly, Air India will fly Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad and vice versa and thereafter increase the frequency to Gorakhpur since a private carrier has just withdrawn from this politically volatile town.
“This is part of our regional connectivity. Bhatinda will definitely give lot of business and people from that town and adjoining areas would not have to drive to Delhi to catch international flights. large number of people from Punjab fly abroad every day. We have already started a direct Chandigarh Sharjah flight which is packed everyday,” said an AI official.
The aircraft on these new routes will be smaller ones, but the fare system will be “dynamic”. As part of Uttar Pradesh extension, Air India will also fly to Allahabad via industrial and educational town of Kanpur and fly back on the same route same day. “After Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh will be the only State where an airliner will cover all the important cities. We will also introduce flight to Agra shortly,” said the AI official.
For its Regional Connectivity Scheme, Air India has already placed extra orders for 10 small aircraft to kick start the national carrier’s sub-regional footprint. All private airlines too have been asked to participate in this scheme. While the private players have been largely indifferent to to the new scheme, Air India has identified new route. The national carrier is planning to fly to Imphal and return to Ahemdabad, touching various cities like Surat, Indore, Jabalpur, Siliguri, etc.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday said since the UP sent the “maximum number” of BJP MPs to the lok Sabha, it will get a lion’s share of railway reforms. “Uttar Pradesh will get the major share of reforms being undertaken in Railways. The State has sent the maximum number of (BJP) MPs to the lok Sabha and, therefore, it is in the fitness of things that the State gets more,” Prabhu was speaking after laying the foundation of various projects at Gomtinagar railway station in presence of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the local MP.
Noting that a large number of people belonging to Uttar Pradesh are living in other states, he said it will be his endeavour to ensure that the Railways provide them maximum facility, and added that during the Modi Government, Uttar Pradesh got railway projects worth Rs43,453 crore.