Current flight connectivity ranking of various urban agglomerations of India
Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar- Cuttack- Puri, Bringing International Connectivity December 10th. 2009, 9:29amFollowing is extracted from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=55629. The ranking is based on "the average number of flights operated in a day from each of the International Airports in the country":
- Mumbai(MIAL) – 654, Juhu – 60
- Delhi – 666
- Chennai – 306
- Banglore (BIAL) – 280
- Kolkata – 231
- Hyderabad (GHIAL) – 219
- Cochin – 112
- Ahmedabad- 107
- Guwahati – 90
- Trivandrum – 71
- Jaipur – 66, Pune – 66
- Goa – 64
- Indore – 61
- Bhopal – 59
- Lucknow – 56
- Vadodra – 54
- Bhubaneswar – 50, Calicut – 50
- Nagpur – 48
- Coimbatore – 42
- Visakhapatnam – 33
- Ranchi – 32
- Raipur – 31
- Mangalore – 30
- Patna – 27, Srinagar – 27, Amritsar – 27
- Jammu- 23, Agartala – 23
- Trichy – 21, Chandigarh – 21, Udaipur -21
- Madurai – 20
- Imphal – 19, Bagdogra – 19
- Varanasi – 16
- Port Blair – 15
- Aurangabad – 14
- Silchar – 11
- Tirupati – 9
- Jodhpur – 7
- Leh – 6
- Rajkot – 6
- Gaya – 1
The mention of the word "international" in the above item is somewhat incorrect, as the list of international airports given in http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=55628 is a different list. For example, Bhubaneswar is not in that list.
On related news, Bhubaneswar is among the 10 airports that are being taken up for city side development in the first phase. Following is an excerpt from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=55627.
In the 1st phase, ten airports namely Kolkata, Hyderabad (Begumpet), Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Indore, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Guwahati and Jaipur should be taken up for city side development.
Some of the facilities planned to be made available are hotels, restaurants, convention centres, food court, flight kitchen, petrol pump, retail shops, cargo facilities, parking etc.
The land available at the airports on the cityside is to be carried out and leased through open tender for development of facilities. The amount to be spent for city side development at each airport would depend upon the bid to be submitted by the successful bidder selected through competitive bidding.
An Idea: Besides new functional airports at Jharsuguda, Rourkela or both, and regional services in small planes to locations like Koraput, Joda-Barbil, Keonjhar, Baripada, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Lanjigarh-Bhawanipatna, Balasore, etc., one other way to develop the air connectivity of Orissa further is to develop air-bus terminals in cities and towns within two hours (200 kms) of Bhubaneswar. This would include luxury bus services and special counters at
- Cuttack station, Cuttack
- Puri
- Konark
- Dhenkanal, Angul, Talcher
- Chilika area (Barakul, Rambha), Chhatrapur, Berhampur
- Paradeep
- Kalinganagar
- Bhadrak, Balasore
- Bhubaneswar Station
- Khurda rd Station
The airport should bunch together its flights and have luxury buses (of various sizes) running 3-4 times a day to and from these destinations. Outside the airport there should be a luxury bus terminal for these flights. After getting off one should be able to take one of these buses (within an hour) to one of the above destinations right from the airport premises. Similarly, one should be able to take a bus from one of these locations to the Bhubaneswar airport.
This will be a win-win situation for every one. Since the population base that can use the airport will increase this will lead to more flights. Alternatively, various places will have somewhat of an air connectivity. (Note that in big cities it may take 1-2 hr to just to get to the airport.) It will also facilitate tourists.
Such bus servivce from airports to nearby cities is common in many parts of the world. I have used it in Mexico.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I think the idea of bus feeder services is good but I am quite sure it’s not economically feasible right now, given the low number of passengers from distant cities. Though I do think that bus feeder services to Puri/Konark and Cuttack would definitely do well from day one. But on another note, I think the ground reality at the BBSR airport is such that these developments will take a long time to materialize. As of now the ‘car’ lobby at the airport is so strong that it does not allow even autorickshaws to come into the airport stand to pick up arriving customers! Therefore the car lobby would definitely not want luxury buses eating into their pie of customers. It is shameful that passengers at the Bangalore airport (where you can expect well heeled customers) have an option to take a bus to the city but Bhubaneswar does not have one.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Among the long distance ones, the Berhampur one with stops en route near Chilika should be initiated in a trial basis. It can be twice a day and start
with a 8-16 seater.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:23 am
I dont think its encouraging if we look at the per capita income and economic situation.Still now even the BBSR airport is considered international airport only on papers.I have been to BBSR and its no less than a horror film setup.Please dont be embarrassed but its how the people felt.I heard them saying this.This plan thats been mentioned above will have a 50% success rate.The people of Orissa have a different mind set.I dont think they might be intersted to go by a super luxury bus when they can board a luxury coach in an affordable rate at any of the bus terminals of BBSR or Cuttack.The price factor will always come into play.This idea is current available in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.For example there are feeder buses all the way from Amritsar to Delhi.Those buses are catagorised as super luxury and the rest are volvo .Again the per capita income and economic situation comes to play.BBSR has to wait for now.Instead feeder buses for nearby railway station,bus terminals and for Puri can be considered.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:59 am
The feeder bus service can work if the passengers in these towns will be able to chek-in at the designated terminals of the towns and where boarding passes could be issued to the passengers. But for this both the AAI and State Govt have to work together in building passenger terminals. There is another proposal doing the rounds and that is for a dedicated state govt run regional air service to places with existing air-strips. That may connect towns with at least 1 lakh population. This service could also be used by High level Govt officials and Ministers who spend crores on hired choppers.
December 11th, 2009 at 9:14 am
(There was a regional air running to some places. See http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/archives/1107 ).
The feeder bus will cost much less than a regional air. So these will be for different demographics.
Now, the feeder bus will also cost less than a taxi which is the current mode for many. If we could do an informal survey (say with people from Berhampur) we could really push this with the government.
December 11th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Another link for regional airlines that was operating in Orissa.
http://www.orissalinks.com/orissagrowth/archives/599
December 11th, 2009 at 9:30 am
I think if the state government starts a regional service that will become popular. The service and pricing of the pvt services are unpredictable and have mostly failed. Even one state run small flight would be enough to connect the entire state and to make the services popular in the initial years the state govt should make the prices subsidised. But, whether a regional service or a feeder service some thing must be done soon.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
From a practical standpoint I think we are a long way off from a regional airline in Orissa. Yes there perhaps were a couple of airlines that attempted to claim the mantle of a regional airline but I think these were at best meant for the mining/minerals related CXOs hot footing to Orissa and the politicians/bureaucrats who were in cahoots with them (sorry for being cynical but the mining scam has made me such). The so called regional airlines were never really meant for people like us. In my previous post I did forget about the people of Berhampur. I think a feeder like service for this city would do well considering the relatively richer population/nationally/globally spread out population that lives there.
Perhaps all this might be too much ask for given that the city of Bhubaneswar itself does not have a bus service! I guess gentlemen it is high time the city has a bus service along the lines of the ones in Bangalore/Hyderabad/Chennai. If some of you have the necessary clout you should push for a regular bus service, that leaves at designated times to different areas (e.g – Station-Forest Park-Bhima Tangi-Khandagiri/Station-Ram Mandir-Sahid Nagar-Jaydev Vihar etc.) in the city. If the government can’t run the service it should allow private operators do so. Whatever the final outcome I think the city is in crying need of intra-city buses.
December 12th, 2009 at 7:35 am
It is good that at least the debate has started on the issue of air transport. The Higher Education Commission appointed by Orissa government shall aslo look into this aspect as no one would like to take a train to Koraput from Bhubaneswar that takes 17-18 hours to reach on normal days. I don’t know the mandate of the commission, but this is one area which indirectly influences the choice of students and faculty.
December 12th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
* When we see 45 Airports in India (as listed in this list), it is very much blunder to the Odisha Government and its people who could tolerate till date and patiently wait for 2nd Airport to open since many years!!! Jharsuguda Airport should start immediately as a respect (at least) to Odisha state when we talk flight connectivity!!! In my opinion, we should start separate specific campaign /mass mails to those respective central ministers towards immediate opening of Jharsuguda Airport.
* Before Vizag Airport converting to an International Airport, Bhubaneswar has to start its International operations else it will be very difficult to takeoff subsequently. Berhampur and South Odisha region will have the advantage of (choice) Vizag International airport instead of Bhubaneswar if it makes delay. Once people are comfortable on specific journey /trip to Odisha via Vizag, they will never look for a change or trial through BBSR.
* Presently there is no flight connectivity between Bhubaneswar and Vizag (future capital of Andhra) and this need to be restored immediately.
* Feeder bus service facility from BBSR Airport to BAMR (and vice versa) will definitely click if boarding passes are issued upto the final destination (BAMR) and BAMR local airport must have atleast the check-in facility.
Example: We get boarding pass upto Dammam (KSA) finally the flight lands at Bahrain International Airport. Airport Authority arranges their bus facility to travel Dammam from Bahrain International Airport and it takes 1 hr to cover a distance of 100/120 km. Dammam is having an International Airport still people are traveling via bus from Bahrain ! Then why not it will click for Berhampur City?
December 14th, 2009 at 4:22 am
The airport at Rourkela should come first after BBSR airport.The industrialization which has come up at Jsg is not enough to start flight services as the population is still far below 2 lakhs.Putting together nearby sambalpur its hardly touches 4.5 lakhs.Coming to Rourkela its population and per capita income is way ahead of Jsg-SBP region.According to records the per capita income at RKL is highest among all the cities of Orissa.Therfore why cant we start flight operations from Rourkela when JSG airport is just on papers.A small amount of investment is required for RKL airport and i dont think govt may ignore these facts which strongly support for the establishment of RKL airport.Even the AAI people have checked the facilities and they were quite impressed especially the runway.JSG can develop the airport once RKL flight operations start.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Nice to see such constructive discussion which somehow was missing from this forum for sometime. It’s a shame actually, orissa being a big state has just one airport and that again in very bad condition. State govt should plan for and push the development of atleast couple of more airports. BBSR itself needs upgrade and govt of india has time and again ignored orissa’s cause on airport development/services. It’s also to do with traffic and economy of the reason. Being a capital city, BBSR still has a long way to go in terms of air traffic and service. For increase in traffic, more industries particularly in sectors like IT need to be developed. Its a simple demand/supply thing. unless n until, there is increase in economic activities in the region, development of airports can not happen. Declaring it international airport will not solve the issue as there need to be enough international travellers from BBSR on regular basis. Hope the things will change for good in orissa with regards to airports.
December 14th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
In case of Rourkela the airport is more or less ready. It is more of a question of convincing some airlines to start service there. Before Air Deccan was acquired it was very close to start service to Rourkela.
December 17th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I believe, Odisha government officials should approach Paramount Airways as they are in expanding mode and coming to small cities like Ranchi, Shillong and Cooch Behar. Since it is Chennai based, state govt. should approach for the route as a hopping flight Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Berhampur-Chennai.
BUSINESS | Friday, December 18, 2009 | Email | Print |
Paramount Airways to add over 700 flights in 2 months
PTI | Mumbai
Chennai-based all-business class airline Paramount Airways plans to add over 700 flights to its network in the next two-to-three months, a top company official said.
“Currently there are 1,900 flights in a month. We intend to add another 600-700 flights to our existing network over the next two-to-three months,” Paramount Airways’ Managing Director M Thyagrajan told reporters here on Thursday.
Thyagrajan said he was looking at expanding his operations to Delhi by adding around 50 flights to the city, against the present seven flights a week.
“We are planning to fly from other smaller cities such as Ranchi (Jharkhand), Shillong (Meghalaya) and Cooch Behar (West Bengal).
We are very keen to cover these catchment areas. We intend to bring them into the Paramount network so as to help us in our proposed international operations,” he said.
The air-carrier has plans to fly overseas in 2011 when it completes five years of domestic operations. Paramount also plans to expand its presence across western India, where it currently operates only in three destinations, Thyagrajan said, adding, “Mumbai is still not on our radar because of infrastructure problems.”