Amid Maldives row, this airline will soon launch flights to Lakshadweep's Agatti Island; check details

SpiceJet, a low cost carrier, announced on Wednesday that it will start two flights to Lakshadweep island as part of the regional connectivity scheme, Udey Desh ka Aam Nagarik (UDAN). The airline is planning to launch these flights soon, and details will be announced soon. 

The airline's chairman and managing director Ajay Singh mentioned the exclusive rights to operate these flights during the virtual annual general meeting. 

“We have exclusive rights to operate flights to Lakshadweep under the RCS and we will soon be launching flights to the island,” said Singh, reported Hindustan Times.

Currently, only Alliance Air operates to Lakshadweep on the Kochi-Agatti-Kochi route.

This development comes after a diplomatic row, which was triggered following unpleasant remarks by Maldivian officials about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep. PM Modi had earlier shared some pictures of the visit on social media.

The Indian government is also working on improving tourism infrastructure, including expanding the runway at Agatti airport and considering a new airport in Minicoy island.

SpiceJet's chairman also mentioned plans to launch flights to Ayodhya, connecting it with multiple cities. The airline, facing financial challenges, recently approved fundraising of Rs 2250 crore, with a significant portion aimed at expanding the network and improving overall performance.