The fragile air link connecting Bhubaneswar and Rourkela has been plunged into uncertainty once again. This follows a forced landing of a small aircraft near Rourkela on Saturday, merely a month after the service was restarted following a five-month suspension.
A Troubled History of Connectivity
Flight services on this route began in January 2023 under the government's UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) regional connectivity scheme, coinciding with the Men's Hockey World Cup. Initially, Alliance Air operated the flights under a three-year agreement with the state government. However, passengers frequently faced disruptions and difficulties. The service hit a major roadblock when Alliance Air ceased all operations on July 18 last year.
After a gap of five months, IndiaOne Air revived the connection on December 5 last year, operating a nine-seater aircraft six days a week. Despite the resumption, flyers expressed dissatisfaction with the shift to a smaller aircraft. The recent incident has amplified these concerns, putting the future of the route in jeopardy.
Details of the Saturday Incident
The IndiaOne Air aircraft, carrying four passengers and two captains, was forced to land in an agricultural field at Kainser village in Jalda-A block, approximately 10 kilometers from Rourkela. The emergency landing was prompted by a technical snag, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft's fuselage, nose, and both landing gears.
Prompt action by local residents, including youths and women from the nearby Gadiatola hamlet, proved crucial. They rushed to the site and successfully rescued all six individuals from the aircraft before the arrival of fire service teams. The injured are currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Rourkela.
Local Response and Passenger Anxiety
Rabindra Singh, a resident of Gadiatola, described the terrifying moment. He saw what appeared to be a kite-like object from a distance before realizing it was a crashing plane. "I was scared the plane would crash into my house, but it landed in the field. All of us, including women, immediately ran to help. We rescued six persons without wasting any time," he recounted.
The incident has validated the apprehensions of regular commuters. S K Patnaik, a local businessman and frequent flyer, voiced the collective disappointment. "We were not happy when authorities switched to a smaller aircraft. Now, after just a month of operation, this accident has pushed the service into uncertainty," he said.
This emergency landing represents another significant setback for regional air connectivity in Odisha. It highlights the operational challenges faced by smaller aircraft operators under the UDAN scheme and raises serious questions about the reliability and sustainability of this vital air link for the people of Rourkela and the state's capital.
