Agra faces a severe blow to its air connectivity as three crucial flight routes are slated for termination, leaving stakeholders in the tourism industry fuming.
Flights connecting Agra to Jaipur, Bhopal and Ahmedabad will be non-functional from April 1, clarified Agra Airport Director Neeraj Srivastava. Highlighting the constraints faced by airlines in maintaining services on these routes, he attributed the decision to a shortage of available aircrafts, reported India Today.
Despite boasting iconic landmarks like the Taj Mahal, Agra suffers from inadequate air links to major cities across the country. Currently, only a handful of flights operate, connecting destinations such as Mumbai, Lucknow, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Bengaluru. However, the recent announcement by the Airports Authority of India to cease three of these flights has triggered outrage among local tourism businesses.
Prahlad Agarwal, President of the Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber, expressed dismay over what he perceives as neglect towards Agra’s tourism potential. He criticised the lack of new development initiatives and the persistent failure to complete ongoing projects. Agarwal condemned the withdrawal of flights as yet another instance of discriminatory treatment towards Agra, added the story published in India Today.
Social activist Vijay Upadhyay raised concerns over the justification provided for the flight closures, pointing out that despite charging higher fares, flights from Agra remain profitable for airlines. He questioned the rationale behind withdrawing services from Agra while neighboring cities are unaffected by similar aircraft shortages.
