Boosting the air connectivity between smaller regions in Uttarakhand, flight flagged off between Dehradun and Pantnagar in Uttarakhand. Dehradun to Pantnagar flight, operated by a fully owned subsidiary of Air India, Alliance Air will operate flight services from Pantnagar to Dehradun (AI-9823) and Dehradun to Pantnagar (AI-9824).
Air India would be operating ATR-72 type aircraft from Pantnagar and Dehradun. ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short distance flight which can seat 72-78 passenger in a single class seating configuration. Being a small turboprop plane, ATR 72 can take off and land at shorter airstrips, making it a perfect aeroplane to operate in difficult mountain terrains.
Under the regional air connectivity scheme, UDAN, Government of India has been connecting regional areas in various parts of the country. Making air connectivity cheaper and accessible in less populated areas, the project aims to promote intrastate tourism and empower the local population. The flight was lagged off by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Cabinet Minister Prakash Pant, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Premchand Aggarwal and from Dehradun Airport (Jolly Grant Airport) on Friday.
Operating on four days of the week- Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the flight would be connecting Garhwal & Kumaon region in Uttarakhand. As per the flight schedule, the flight would depart from Pantnagar Airport at 1:15 pm and would reach Dehradun Airport at 2:05 pm. The return flight from Dehradun airport would take off at 3:05 pm and would reach Pantnagar at 3:55 pm.
The Air India owned flight would cost travellers around 1,400 to traverse across Garhwal & Kumaon region in Uttarakhand. Offering just economy class, the expected flight duration for the route is believed to be around 50 minutes. With cheap price and 50 minutes flight duration, Air India is hoping air travel becomes a common trend in the small cities.
Despite multiple hiccups in the project, DGCA finally gave approval to the project. On Friday, January 4, the first flight was operated, starting a new chapter in the two regions.
You can book the flight from Air India’s official website.
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