Maharana Pratap Airport Udaipur Faces Flight Crisis: Delhi Flights Halved, Travel to Pune Gets Tougher

Maharana Pratap Airport: A significant change has been made to the summer schedule of Udaipur's Maharana Pratap Airport. From March 29, daily flights to Delhi have been reduced from 8 to 4. Meanwhile, direct flights to Pune will still not be available.

Maharana Pratap Airport, Udaipur: The new summer schedule, effective March 29, at Maharana Pratap Airport in Dabok will see a reduction in daily flights to Delhi from eight to just four. Only two flights each from Air India and IndiGo will now be available. This change will directly impact passengers who regularly travel to Delhi for business or medical reasons.

Ticket bookings may become difficult, and an increase in airfares is anticipated. Passengers from Udaipur and surrounding districts like Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, and Bhilwara, who were hoping for a direct flight to Pune, will be disappointed as the new schedule offers no direct connectivity. Travellers will have to go via Delhi or Mumbai, increasing both travel time and cost.

Timings of Some Flights Changed

While flights on the Jaipur route remain, their timings have been significantly altered. The morning flight, previously scheduled for 6:50 AM, will now depart from Jaipur at 10:20 AM and arrive in Udaipur at 11:25 AM. The evening flight will arrive in Udaipur at 5:50 PM. This necessitates a change in plans for passengers who intended to spend the day sightseeing in Jaipur. Air India has strengthened its options for Delhi and Mumbai.

Air India's prominent flights to Mumbai, AI-2580, AI-2594, and AI-2596, will depart at 12:40 PM, 2:40 PM, and 4:35 PM respectively. Two direct flights to Delhi, AI-1820 and AI-1897, will operate daily at 1:50 PM and 3:55 PM. IndiGo's schedule covers flight slots from morning to night, but the total number of flights has decreased.

Evening slots for Mumbai and Delhi, two flights each in the morning and evening for Jaipur, and limited connectivity to South Indian cities are available. The absence of a crucial flight to Indore in the schedule is a setback for the business community. Travel agents state that fewer flights and the lack of direct connectivity to South India could negatively impact tourism and trade.

Impact on Tourism and Trade

The reduction in the number of flights at Maharana Pratap Airport is likely to affect tourism and trade in Udaipur. For tourists arriving from Delhi, the time options will become limited. Travel agents believe that the shortage of seats will also negatively impact the movement of foreign tourists and business-class passengers. Airlines have stated that the schedule has been determined based on demand and resources.