Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Chartered air service connectivity for Rourkela, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Jamshedpur and Ranchi

April 28, 2012 at 4:42 am sanjibkarmee Leave a comment

Following is a report from the Pioneer:

A tie-up between two firms has put Jamshedpur back on the map of air transportation with the maiden service being run to and from Kolkata.

Bangalore-based DTDS Travel and Tour Planners Private Limited joined hands with Spirit Air with the ventures first flight to Kolkata taking off on Monday at Sonari Airport. The company will also start Jamshedpur-Patna air services.

DTDS launched “per seat” air charter services to industrial cities from Kolkata where passengers can book single seats at fixed rates and fly at particular charter timings. This is the first time in India that a “per seat “, fixed cost, fixed schedule, chartered air service connectivity is offered for industrial cities like Jamshedpur and Rourkela.

“Business travellers from now can expect to travel in style and comfort of modern charter planes from Jamshedpur to Kolkata, attend work and return back the same day,” an official said.

Jamshedpur debuted on the country’s air map in 2007 with Air Deccan linking the city to the Bengal capital, but the service ended soon. Then, MDLR Kingfisher resumed connectivity in 2009, but only for a few months. On August 17, 2010, Deccan Charters hired a turboprop 19-seater aircraft with a fare of Rs 5,000, but services ended in February 2011.

“DTDS charter flight timings connect morning flights reaching Kolkata from Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi so travellers to Jamshedpur and Rourkela from anywhere in India or abroad can reach destinations in the shortest time and catch connecting evening flights back home,” the official further noted.

DTDS offices are available in Kolkata, Bangalore, Rourkela and Jamshedpur.

Bharat Vasani, secretary, Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the people of the city will be immensely benefited due to the service and this would spur a renewed phase of growth. “It will give boost to industrial development of the State of Jharkhand. I also wish success to the move,” he noted.

Meanwhile, in the wake of rail traffic on Howrah-Mumbai route getting affected owing to CPI (Maoist) violent activities on tracks and the National Highway-33 that connects the city to Kolkata, being under siege of dacoits at Lodhasuli jungles in West Midnapore district of Bengal, travellers, especially businessmen who frequent to Howrah, were left in a lurch and were awaiting the resumption of air service at the earliest.

“The travel woes of executives and business class will be addressed to some extent, for we will at least have one option ready at hand to reach Howrah for business meetings and other engagements,” observed S N Thakur, industrialist and former president, Adityapur Small Industries Association (ASIA).

Following is the route map from DTDS India home:

Entry filed under: Flight service to Rourkela, Infrastructure, Region watch, Sundergarh.