The national carrier of India, Air India, will restore its operation to Chennai from Orissa on October 25. The flight was discontinued around one and half years back i.e. May last year. This move has got a welcome from travel industry as there is no direct connectivity from Orissa to Tamil Nadu's capital (Chennai) and travelers have to take a detour either through Bangalore or Hyderabad. The scheduled flight will leave Chennai at 11 am and arrive at Bhubaneswar at 12.55 pm. The return flight will leave Chennai at 1.35 pm.
Air India has been accused for neglecting Orissa in past and discontinuation of direct flight from Bhubaneswar had forced the state government to lodge a complaint against the airline. However, now the airline has finally decided to restore this route. The aircraft operating in the route will have both economy and business class facilities. Industry experts have expressed doubts over sustainability of this route. They claim that finding 145 passengers daily from Bhubaneswar to Chennai will be a Herculean task.
The original plan was to extend the flight to Kolkata, as it would have brought profit and sustainability to this route. Currently, air travelers have just three flights to Kolkata from Bhubaneswar and two of them are scheduled in the morning and those who have to catch an international flight will have to either fly in morning or take a train, because there is nothing during the noon and afternoon hours. If the route had been extended to Kolkata, it would have provided a better link between North Eastern State and Orissa, which is missing presently.
