AI decision to withdraw two flights draws flak

The Odisha Chapter of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) here on Sunday criticised the decision of Air India to withdraw two of its flights connecting Bhubaneswar with Kolkata and Chennai from Monday.

“The decision has been taken just before the beginning of the tourist season and will badly hamper not only the tourism sector but also the trade, commerce and industry of the State,” IATO State unit president J.K. Mohan said in a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. The letter was released at a press conference here on Sunday.

Mr. Mohanty said, “Various hotels have been booked for a large number of conferences during the months of November and December 2012 and January 2013. All these conferences in Odisha will be badly hit as delegates from Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata are supposed to arrive in Bhubaneswar through the Air India flights.”

“Earlier, Air India withdrew flights to Bangalore, Raipur, Varanasi, and Hyderabad from Odisha. We deeply regret the decision of the Air India which says this is a business decision,” he said.

Mr. Mohanty pointed out that all the flights connecting Bhubaneswar were full as the number of corporate and business travellers to the State was largely increased due to the heavy industrialisation.

Besides, the State was aggressively planning to promote the Buddhist tourist sector and for this the IRCTC would be extending its Mahapari Nirvan Express and two trains were scheduled for December and January. Many of these tourists decided to go back from Bhubaneswar to Chennai towards their onward journey to Sri Lanka and other places, and even they would be badly affected, he said.

Moreover, the State government also accepted a proposal to lead a delegation of entrepreneurs to have a meeting with the Singapore Chamber of Commerce in the last week of November 2012, he said, adding the cancellation would result in affecting investment flow to the State.

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