More flights from BPIA likely to be suspended

Bhubaneswar: Fear of more flight suspensions looms large after tickets for 2 more domestic routes, Kochi and Goa, stopped appearing beyond March, while airlines are also yet to file their summer schedules with Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).

While it is almost certain that services to Indore and Dehradun will be suspended from March, flights to Port Blair, Lucknow and Jaipur are already off the roster.The govt offered viability gap funding (VGF) under the new destination policy approved by it in Oct 2024, to connect to more domestic destinations across India. According to the policy, the VGF is offered for the first 6 months from commencement of service and is extended for another 6 months, considering the performance.

In the case of 2 domestic destinations (Goa and Kochi) whose VGF agreement expired, flights may be suspended.“The airlines have not submitted the summer schedules. There is still time they may submit. But we are getting to know that there is no booking beyond March for the 2 destinations, which indicates suspension of service,” an airport officer said.While Air India Express operates a daily direct flight to Kochi, IndiGo operates its flight to Goa.

Sources said the govt may or may not renew the VGF pact, but the operator IndiGo is likely to take its aircraft for use at other destinations, considering the fact that it is set to downsize its fleet after the DGCA stricture.Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) sources said Dehradun and Indore flights did not have the issue of low passenger footfall but it was not so with Port Blair, Kochi and Goa flights. Under VGF, the domestic destinations with aircraft having the capacity to accommodate passengers between 50 and 180 are eligible to get VGF of Rs 5 lakh per round trip.After the domestic flights started operating under VGF, there was a dip in passenger footfall in May last year, but in Oct, it rose vertically. “Altogether 7 domestic destinations will be disconnected if Goa, Kochi, Indore and Dehradun are finally suspended. The domestic scenario is getting destabilised though the airport infrastructure is growing in leaps and bounds. The govt can’t always continue to run VGF, considering the fact that the routes are giving profit,” said hotelier and frequent flier Debashis Patnaik.