Surat: Air Odisha launched its inaugural flight service connecting Surat and Bhavnagar under UDAN (regional connectivity scheme) on Monday.
Air Odisha, a joint venture of the Gujarat State Export Corporation Limited (GSEC), Monarch and Air Deccan from Odisha, has become the fourth airline operator to provide flight services at Surat apart from SpiceJet, Air India and Ventura Airconnect. The inaugural flight was given water cannon salute when the aircraft landed at Surat airport.
Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani, cabinet minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, city unit BJP president Nitin Bhajiawala and other party leaders performed puja at the airport when Air Odisha flight arrived. Members of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) and airport groups were also present.
Earlier, the airline was supposed to launch the inter-state air connectivity in January, but due to some technical issues and permissions, it got delayed. The airline has received permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for operating services on Surat-Bhavnagar route, while other routes like Ahmedabad, Diu, Jamnagar and Mundra will be added at a later date.
As per the plan, Air Odisha is looking at connecting Ahmedabad with Bhavnagar, Surat, Mundra, Jamnagar, Mithapur (Dwarka) and Diu. All these destinations will have return direct flights to and from Ahmedabad.
As per the operating schedule, Air Odisha is operating 19-seater Beachcraft aircraft on Surat-Bhavnagar route. The aircraft departed from Bhavnagar at 8 am to reach Surat at 8.35 am on Monday. On the return journey, the flight will depart from Surat at 8.55 am to reach Bhavnagar at 9.25 am.
Sources said Air Odisha has been awarded 50 routes across different states in the country under UDAN scheme. The airline has the single largest share of the routes under the scheme.
The inaugural flight operated on Surat-Bhavnagar route