HUBBALLI: A year after starting services under UDAN, a regional connectivity scheme of the Centre, airlines are backtracking from Hubballi airport for some reason or the other.
After SpiceJet cancelled its flight operations, IndiGo is planning to partially withdraw its flight services. However, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that IndiGo’s management has assured him of resuming services, as per the existing schedule, by September 1.
In the second round of bidding for UDAN scheme, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had allotted three routes – Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune – to SpiceJet. It started the flight service on May 14 last year to Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai, but not to Pune.
Only six months after connecting flights to Hyderabad, the low-cost domestic carrier withdrew its service.
The flight service on other routes from Hubballi had also stopped from June 20 as it chose neighbouring Belagavi over Hubballi.
It was a rude shock for air passengers in and around the twin cities, especially businessmen.
A month after SpiceJet severed ties with Hubballi, IndiGo is said to be cancelling flights to Chennai and Ahmedabad from August 1, sources said.
Trade and industry bodies of the region expressed concern over this development and approached Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri as well as MP Pralhad Joshi and sought their intervention to restore services of IndiGo Airlines.
Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary Vinay Javali said that at present most of the flights departing from Hubballi were in maximum demand and it because is due to connecting some more cities.