New Delhi: A quite weekend in the white sands of Kutch for Delhiites or a quick flight between Dehradun and Lucknow will soon be a reality thanks to aerial regional connectivity that the Modi government is pushing for.
A number of state governments are in talks with Alliance Air (AA), a subsidiary of Air India that operates upto 70-seater aircraft, to connect big cities with small towns. The states are going to tell AA what fare to charge, to ensure affordable rates, and will bridge the airline's gap in cost and revenue through viability gap funding (VGF).
"We have finalized flights with the Gujarat government. From December 1, we will have flights from Delhi to Bhuj, Jamnagar and either Keshod or Kandla under the VGF model," said AA spokesman Anil Mehta. The airline will launch tourist packages with the Gujarat government for a complete travel-and-stay deal in the state. The governments of states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan apart from the administrations of Andaman and Nicobar and Diu are also talking to AA for regional flights. "UP wants flights from Lucknow to Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Agra. Andaman and Nicobar wants flights from Port Blair to islands like Campbell Bay. Rajasthan is looking at flights to places like Bikaner and Jaisalmer," said Mehta.
02/11/15 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
A number of state governments are in talks with Alliance Air (AA), a subsidiary of Air India that operates upto 70-seater aircraft, to connect big cities with small towns. The states are going to tell AA what fare to charge, to ensure affordable rates, and will bridge the airline's gap in cost and revenue through viability gap funding (VGF).
"We have finalized flights with the Gujarat government. From December 1, we will have flights from Delhi to Bhuj, Jamnagar and either Keshod or Kandla under the VGF model," said AA spokesman Anil Mehta. The airline will launch tourist packages with the Gujarat government for a complete travel-and-stay deal in the state. The governments of states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan apart from the administrations of Andaman and Nicobar and Diu are also talking to AA for regional flights. "UP wants flights from Lucknow to Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Agra. Andaman and Nicobar wants flights from Port Blair to islands like Campbell Bay. Rajasthan is looking at flights to places like Bikaner and Jaisalmer," said Mehta.
02/11/15 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
