IndiGo trims Delhi flights, Belagavi flyers feft grounded

Belagavi: IndiGo Airlines has reduced its direct Delhi–Belagavi service from a daily operation to just three flights a week from July 1, disappointing business travellers and frequent flyers who depend on the route for regular access to the national capital.Under the revised schedule, the direct Delhi–Belagavi flight will now operate only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until October. However, the flight timings remain unchanged.The reduction is expected to inconvenience passengers, especially those who require flexible travel options. The route is popular among business executives, government officials, students and tourists, and the cut in frequency is likely to force many travellers to either opt for connecting flights or alter their travel plans.Frequent flyers have also expressed concern that reduced seat availability could push up airfares, particularly during peak travel periods.Airline sources attributed the temporary reduction to operational and commercial considerations, including rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs.The latest cut comes close on the heels of another setback to Belagavi’s air connectivity. From June 15, IndiGo withdrew one of its two daily flights on the Belagavi–Bengaluru sector, leaving just a single daily service between the two cities.

The back-to-back reductions have sparked concern among regular passengers and the business community, who argue that Belagavi’s growing stature as a commercial, educational and administrative hub warrants stronger, not weaker, air connectivity.Industry representatives have urged IndiGo to restore daily services on both the Delhi and Bengaluru routes at the earliest to meet rising demand and support the region’s economic growth.