Raipur, March 30 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday virtually inaugurated direct flight services from Maa Mahamaya Airport in Ambikapur to New Delhi and Kolkata. The inauguration was conducted from Raipur, while local MP Chintamani flagged off the flight from Maa Mahamaya Airport, Darima Airport.

Darima Airport, originally built in 1950, was upgraded in 2021 to handle 72-seater aircraft. Under the new schedule, flights will operate twice a week to Delhi and twice a week to Kolkata, with both services making a stop at Bilaspur.

The Ambikapur-Delhi service will be operated on a 72-seater ATR aircraft with a fare of Rs 6,500. The Ambikapur-Kolkata service, starting April 2, will run on Thursdays and Saturdays at a fare of Rs 6,000.

The launch of these flights has brought immense joy to residents of Ambikapur and the surrounding Surguja division, a tribal-dominated region in northern Chhattisgarh. Locals believe the new air services will save travel time, reduce fatigue, and boost business, tourism, and connectivity.

On Mondays, the Delhi-Ambikapur flight will depart Delhi at 7.50 a.m., reach Bilaspur at 10.25 a.m., and arrive in Ambikapur at 11.40 a.m. It will then depart Ambikapur at 12.05 p.m. and return to Delhi by 2.35 p.m. On Wednesdays, the flight will leave Delhi at 7.50 a.m., reach Ambikapur at 10.25 a.m., depart at 10.50 a.m. for Bilaspur, and finally return to Delhi at 2.50 p.m.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the Ambikapur-Kolkata flight will soon start, and the government also has plans to start flights to Ayodhya and Varanasi. â??We will soon launch flight services as work is going on. Jagdalpur, Ambikapur, Raigarh and other airports will be extended and developed further, â?? he said.

Local MP boarded the plane to inaugurate the service. The Raipur airport, he said, will soon have a cargo airport. A memorandum of understanding has been signed in this regard.

Maa Mahamaya Airport, located at Darima near Ambikapur, was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 20, 2024. Spread over 365 acres and developed at a cost of around Rs 80 crore, the airport is expected to accelerate development in Surguja by providing modern air connectivity.

Surguja MP Chintamani described the launch as a â??historic momentâ?? for the region. Former Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo also welcomed the development, saying work was now moving in the right direction.

On Sunday, CM Sai inaugurated night flight operations at Bilasa Devi Kevat Airport in Bilaspur. He personally travelled on the inaugural night flight from Bilaspur to Raipur, accompanied by MLA Dharamjit Singh.

Following the airportâ??s upgrade, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted permission for night operations under the 3C IFR category on February 6.

With this facility, scheduled commercial flights as well as emergency and medical services can now operate during nighttime hours.

Chief Minister Sai said the launch of night flights would significantly enhance life-saving medical services and boost trade, tourism, and investment in the region. He urged citizens to make full use of the new facility and extended best wishes for safe and pleasant journeys.

This development marks a major boost to regional aviation infrastructure in Chhattisgarh, particularly in smaller cities and tribal areas.

/IANS