Bhubaneswar Airport Set for Domestic Connectivity Revival in August
Domestic air connectivity at Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport, which has declined from 28 to 18 destinations, is expected to normalize in August. Sources indicate that at least six of the ten dropped locations are likely to be reconnected, thanks to Air India Express's expansion plans.
Fleet Expansion to Drive Route Restoration
Air India Express, the low-cost arm of Air India, is procuring 24 additional aircraft in July, comprising Airbus A320/A321 and Boeing 737 models. This fleet expansion is a key factor in the anticipated revival of domestic routes from Bhubaneswar. A top airport officer stated, "As many as 24 aircraft are expected to be procured in July. The airline will definitely use its aircraft at multiple locations. It can't keep them idle. Earlier, Air India Express flights are known to fly to smaller airports also. So, August will see the domestic sector reviving."
Destinations to Be Reconnected
The six domestic destinations likely to be restored are:
- Jharsuguda
- Lucknow
- Indore
- Dehradun
- Jaipur
- Goa
The four remaining dropped destinations are MOPA, Port Blair, Cochin, and Hindon. Sources noted that barring Cochin, Hindon, MOPA, and Port Blair, other dropped destinations, including Jharsuguda, had no issues with passenger footfall. The Jharsuguda-Bhubaneswar flight, with 70 seats, was booked to capacity daily, with the airline citing commercial reasons for halting operations.
Impact on Passenger Traffic
After ten domestic and two international destinations (Singapore and Dubai) were removed from the roster, daily passenger footfall at Bhubaneswar airport dropped by approximately 1,200 to 1,500. Restoring services to the six destinations could recover or compensate for 800 to 1,000 passengers daily. An officer added, "If the services to six destinations are restored, at least 800-1,000 passenger footfall can be recovered/compensated. In the winter schedule, the situation will further improve as the months are never loss-making."
Annual passenger footfall at Bhubaneswar airport crossed the 50-lakh mark in November, with over 4 lakh monthly and 14,000 to 15,000 daily footfalls.
Operational Enhancements Attract Airlines
Airport director Prasanna Pradhan highlighted operational improvements, such as the commissioning of Parallel Taxi Track and Rapid Exit Taxiway from April 16, which help free the runway quickly after aircraft land. These enhancements make Bhubaneswar an attractive hub for airlines like Air India Express.
Sources added that if Air India Express deploys even four of the 24 new aircraft, they could operate multiple flights to cover six to seven destinations. Besides reconnecting dropped routes, the airline may also explore new destinations from Bhubaneswar, further boosting connectivity and passenger numbers.
