Low-cost airline SpiceJet on July 19 announced the launch of 26 new domestic and additional flights, including Nashik-Hyderabad and Delhi-Khajuraho under the government’s UDAN scheme, beginning July 22.
The airline will introduce direct flights to Nashik from Delhi, Hyderabad to Jammu, Mumbai to Guwahati, Jharsuguda and Madurai, Varanasi to Ahmedabad and Kolkata to Jabalpur in addition to increasing the frequency between Ahmedabad-Jaipur, Delhi-Hyderabad, Delhi-Dharamshala and Amritsar-Ahmedabad, SpiceJet said in a statement.
”Our new UDAN flights are a testimony to our commitment to connect the unconnected parts of the country and cater to rising passenger demand across the country. The new and additional flights have been carefully added keeping passenger convenience in mind and provide them with multiple travel options,” SpiceJet Chief Commercial Officer Shilpa Bhatia said.
Launched in 2016, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik, or let the general public fly) is a regional connectivity scheme by the Centre to expand the aviation network by developing airports in smaller cities and while making flying affordable)
The flights from Hyderabad and Delhi to Nashik, Hyderabad to Jammu (one-stop), Mumbai to Guwahati, Varanasi to Ahmedabad and Kolkata to Jabalpur will operate daily.
While flights from Mumbai to Jharsuguda in Odisha will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, flights between Mumbai and Madurai will operate on all days except Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The flights between Delhi and Hyderabad will operated on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Additional frequency between Ahmedabad-Jaipur will operate daily, according to SpiceJet.
The airline’s Boeing 737 and Q400 aircraft will be deployed on these routes. Ticket bookings across these routes are open on www.spicejet.com, SpiceJet’s mobile app and through the online travel portals and travel agents.
In recent days, SpiceJet and rival IndiGo have reported a string of incidents due to technical malfunctions. Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had also issued a show-cause notice to SpiceJet on July 6 after eight such reported incidents.
The aviation regulator said the budget carrier had “failed” to establish safe, efficient and reliable air services.
Also Read: 9th incident in 24 days: SpiceJet’s Dubai-Madurai flight delayed as nose wheel malfunctions
SpiceJet’s Dubai-Madurai flight was delayed on July 11 after the Boeing 737 Max aircraft’s nose wheel malfunctioned, Directorate General of Civil Aviation officials said. The July 11 incident was the ninth incident of technical malfunction in a SpiceJet aircraft in 24 days.
