BHUBANESWAR: Amid the ongoing operational turmoil faced by IndiGo Airlines, uncertainty has surfaced over the continuation of the direct international flight connecting Odisha with the United Arab Emirates. The direct IndiGo service between Dubai and Bhubaneswar is likely to be discontinued from March 30, triggering concern among flyers and the Odia diaspora in the Gulf.
Sources said online bookings for the Dubai-Bhubaneswar route beyond March 30 are currently not being accepted. The development has sparked commotion among the flyers, including non-resident Odias (NROs) and stakeholders who depend heavily on the route for travel, business and tourism.
The Bhubaneswar-Dubai direct flight was flagged off from Biju Patnaik International Airport on May 15, 2023. Operated by IndiGo Airlines, the service ran thrice a week and was hailed as a landmark step in Odisha’s international aviation push. After the direct flight was introduced, Dubai’s status as a major global travel hub had opened up new avenues for investment, trade and tourism for the state, besides offering multiple options for leisure travellers from across the world looking to visit Odisha.
The Odisha government had made a budgetary provision of Rs100 crore as viability gap funding (VGF) every year to ensure sustainability of the service. Under this one-of-its-kind air linking project, the state had to bear part of the operational costs to support the airline until passenger occupancy stabilised and the route became commercially viable.
Expressing concerns over the issue, the Odisha Samaj in UAE has written to chief secretary Anu Garg urging immediate intervention to prevent the discontinuation of the flight. The organisation said the proposed withdrawal of the service would adversely impact the Odia diaspora in the UAE as well as tourism, trade and investment connectivity with the state.
President of Odisha Samaj UAE Amiya Kumar Mishra said a similar situation had emerged in September last year. “At that time the issue was resolved following timely intervention by senior officials of the Odisha government. The proposed discontinuation from March 30 onwards could seriously affect the Odia community in the UAE,” he said.
Another direct flight operating thrice a week between Abu Dhabi and Bhubaneswar has already been discontinued and it has significantly reduced direct air connectivity between Odisha and the UAE, causing inconvenience to a large number of passengers, particularly those based in Abu Dhabi and adjoining regions.
The Dubai-Bhubaneswar flight serves as a vital lifeline for more than 40,000 Odias residing in the UAE. The Dubai route also offers seamless onward connectivity from other GCC countries, Europe and beyond to Bhubaneswar.