Vadodara mayor demands restart of Air India flights

BJP MP and city Mayor Balkrishna Shukla today demanded civil aviation minister Praful Patel that suspended flights to Delhi and Mumbai from the city be resumed.

Air India has suspended its daily morning and evening flights on Mumbai-Vadodara and Delhi-Vadodara route since the
advent of private players.

The government air carrier now operates only evening flight on Delhi-Vadodara route on six days of the week, excluding Sunday.

"If the private airliners can operate on both these routes then what prevents Air India Management to do so on such lucrative and profitable routes?" asked Shukla.

"Vadodara is engineering hub and fertiliser producing centre with the presence of multi national companies," he said.

He also demanded retaining Air India office premises located in Fatehgunj locality in the city from where air India has been functioning since 1970. "It is most convenient for every body to visit this office," he added.

Shukla made this request after learning about the shifting of the office to Tandalja Vasna area on the outskirt of the city.