Rajkot to get 4th flight to Mumbai from Dec 15

Sources at Rajkot airport confirmed that the air carrier submitted an application last week to get the required approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the new flight.

The Jet Airways Konnect flight will arrive at Rajkot 3.10pm and will depart for Mumbai at 3.40pm.

However,the DGCA may ask the airline to delay the new flight by an hour or so to that the airport,which faces infrastructure and manpower deficit,can handle it,sources said.

Currently,Rajkot airport handles three flights daily and they all are between Rajkot and Mumbai. While Jet Airways flights takes off at 6.05am and 7.00pm,lone Air India flight departs at 6.45pm.

Travel agents in the city say the air traffic at the small airport has increased significantly in last few years,thanks to development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

“Small-time businessmen from the city and Morbi fly frequently to Mumbai and Delhi. The air traffic has increased with the development of their business,” said Hiten Katira,a city-based travel agent.

Others believe that the new flight will save fliers from exploitation by the airlines. “Due to their limited numbers,the two flights in the evening remains crowded. Bookings are hard get and sometimes passengers have to cough up three times the normal fare. This will hopefully stop now,” said Jitendra Vyas,another travel agent. A one-way ticket for the new flight is priced in the range of Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000.

Vyas added that the traffic between the two cities remains high also due to the fact that there is no direct flight between Rajkot and Delhi. “Businessmen who want to fly all the way to Delhi prefer to take via-Mumbai route as else they will have to drive till Ahmedabad to board a direct flight,” Vyas said.