Jyotiraditya Scindia: Covid-hit aviation sector on recovery path

While addressing a meeting to launch four new flights from Gwalior, the Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the aviation sector in the country is recovering after being hit by the Covid 19 pandemic. According to Scindia, by 2024, India aims to develop 100 airports and 1,000 air routes. As much as 61% of the hundred airports have already been linked. He added that the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme has resulted in the establishment of 360 air routes. SpiceJet has launched four new flights from Gwalior, connecting the city with Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. The aviation minister also announced that a Jabalpur-Delhi-Jabalpur flight will begin on July 18, and a Khajuraho-Delhi-Khajuraho flight will begin in October. SpiceJet is also planning to launch a Boeing plane service to Mumbai, he said. According to Scindia, 14 flights currently operate from Bhopal, 22 from Indore, 14 from Jabalpur, and six from Gwalior, with the number expected to increase in the coming days. The event was also attended by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh. Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh has a lot of potential in the tourism and industries sectors, but air connectivity has been a major issue and expressed hopes for the issues being resolved with Scindia taking up charge as the Minister of Aviation. With the launch of new flights from Gwalior, he said, a step in the right direction has been taken. Chouhan asserted that the airline has begun flights from 14 airports across the country that previously had no air connectivity. Tulsiram Silawat and Pradyumna Singh Tomar, both state ministers, as well as Gwalior BJP MP Vivek Shejwalkar, were present to flag-off the new flights. Image SourceAlso read: Pune airport to introduce new cargo facility on IAF land Also read: Airport expansion likely to boost tourism in Aurangabad