In a big jolt to the Air Odisha, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry has cancelled the licence of the airline for operations owing to its poor performance. Biju Patnaik International Airport Director Suresh Chandra Hota said, “The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has sent a letter mentioning the termination clause to the airlines. As the airline has failed to operate 75 per cent of flights in last three months, the notice has been served.”
Notably, on September 22, after the inauguration of the Veer Surendra Sai Airport, the Air Odisha had operated services from Jharsuguda to Raipur. But soon after allegations of irregularities were brought against the airline, it stopped services completely from October 6.
Sources said the AAI would invite a tender again for interested airlines to operate flights to Jharsuguda after the cancellation of Air Odisha licence.
The airline had been given licence to operate flights from Jharsuguda to Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Raipur under the ‘Udey Desh ka Aam Nagarik’ (UDAN) scheme.
However, the cancellation of the licence has raised uncertainty about the recently-inaugurated Jharsuguda airport .
Earlier, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had asked the Air Odisha authorities to ensure regular flight operations, failing which the Centre would be forced to cancel their licence.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to regularise the Air Odisha flights from the Jharsuguda airport.