First subsidised international flight in MP launched, Indore and Abu Dhabi now directly connected

Indore, July 15 (PTI) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday flagged off the Air India Express Indore-Abu Dhabi flight, Madhya Pradesh’s first international air service funded under the state Civil Aviation Policy 2025, providing direct connectivity between Indore and the UAE capital. Yadav said this service will strengthen bilateral relations between India and the United Arab Emirates and provide a new dimension to trade, investment, and tourism. Officials said this is the state's first international air service, funded under Madhya Pradesh's Civil Aviation Policy 2025, providing direct connectivity between the state's financial capital and Abu Dhabi. Speaking at a ceremony held at Indore's Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, the Chief Minister said the flight will boost trade, investment, tourism, and industrial activities. It will also benefit the large population of the state's Malwa-Nimar region. He said the flight, which will operate four days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday), will reduce both travel time and expenses for travellers. "For the people of the state, air travel on the Indore-Abu Dhabi route used to take seven to eight hours, but now this journey will take three hours and 15 minutes because passengers will not have to travel via other cities like Delhi or Mumbai," Yadav added. He said the state government is providing Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs 15 lakh per round trip for this international service under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy 2025. Supported by the government subsidy, fares on the Indore-Abu Dhabi route are expected to be Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000, compared to the previous Rs 24,000 to Rs 25,000. The Chief Minister further said that approximately 100 seats were booked on the first flight, while approximately 170 seats were booked on the first flight from Abu Dhabi to Indore. He expressed hope that passenger traffic on this route would increase in the future. Yadav highlighted the historical and economic ties with the UAE, noting that the maiden air service will strengthen connectivity. Yadav said that since he became Chief Minister, three new airports have been inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh, while construction on two more airports in Ujjain and Shivpuri is underway. He said that flights have been launched on routes including Rewa-Delhi, Rewa-Indore, and Rewa-Raipur, and work is underway to launch flights on new routes like Jabalpur-Kolkata, Bhopal-Rewa, Bhopal-Patna, and Rewa-Kolkata. Yadav added that steps are also being taken to expand helicopter services from Indore to Ujjain and Omkareshwar. He added that efforts are underway to extend the benefits of the Regional Air Connectivity Scheme to districts like Shajapur, Neemuch, Chhindwara, and Mandla. PTI HWP MAS NSK