Darbhanga. Under the UDAN scheme, air services were started again from Darbhanga Airport three years ago on this day i.e. on 8th November. Darbhanga Airport is the most successful airport started under the UDAN scheme in the last three years. According to the terms of the UDAN scheme, while the aviation companies are getting tax exemption at this airport, they also have a monopoly for three years on the air route. According to the condition, for the last three years, only SpiceJet flights could provide service from Darbhanga to Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. Due to this, passengers were forced to travel on expensive tickets of the airline company, but now SpiceJet’s unilateral rule at the airport has ended from today. After completion of three years of the condition, the way has now been cleared for the arrival of other airlines at Darbhanga Airport. People believe that the launch of other airlines will bring competition and the arbitrary fares of SpiceJet company will provide a lot of relief to the passengers.
The contract was for three years
Actually, the government had signed a three-year contract with SpiceJet under the UDAN scheme. Under this, air travel from cities like New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai was the responsibility of only SpiceJet aircraft. This contract has ended on 8 November 2023. After this no other contract has been signed till now. Now the people of Mithila, especially North Bihar, have started demanding to start services of other airlines from Darbhanga Airport. People say that the launch of other airlines will bring competition and the passengers will get a lot of relief from the arbitrary fares of SpiceJet company. However, till now no company has taken initiative for this.
Clear the way for other planes to arrive
Now when the three-year agreement with SpiceJet is about to end on November 8, people are hopeful that other airlines will also be able to start their services from Darbhanga Airport, which will increase competition and fares will also come down and will provide a lot of relief to the passengers. The people of Mithila have started demanding from the Central Government and their public representatives to start flights of airlines other than SpiceJet. Darbhanga Airport was started from November 8, 2020 under the UDAN scheme. There was a wave of happiness in Mithila with the opening of Darbhanga Airport. In just three years, the number of passengers traveling through Darbhanga Airport has crossed 17 lakhs. Despite expensive tickets, people continued to travel by air out of compulsion.
Sanjay Jha had raised the issue of expensive rent
Information and Public Relations cum Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha has tweeted and said that for how long will such expensive air fares continue for the people of Mithila? If a person wants to go from Darbhanga to Delhi by air on the next day of Dussehra i.e. 25 October 2023, he will have to pay about Rs 15 thousand, whereas if going from Patna to Delhi, he will have to pay about Rs 6 thousand. Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha has once again requested the Airport Authority officials to reconsider the air fares for travel from Darbhanga Airport. Also set a maximum fare limit for festival days.
Traveling from Darbhanga is very expensive compared to Patna.
Earlier, Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha had said in a tweet that this is the situation when the Bihar government is paying only one percent subsidy on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) for the flights going to and from Darbhanga Airport to Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore started under the UDAN scheme. Takes tax. This tax exemption is not applicable for Patna Airport. In such a situation, the fare to and from Darbhanga airport to Delhi should have been much lower than that from Patna. A friend told that the fare for coming from Delhi to Darbhanga on October 22, 2023 was more than Rs 29 thousand.
Difficult to come even during Diwali and Chhath festival
The number of passengers coming to Bihar from metro cities to celebrate Diwali and Chhath festival has increased. At that time the seats in all the trains are full. At the same time, flight fares are also increasing and touching the sky. While tickets are not available to come to Bihar, the fare has also increased so much that it is difficult for common people to travel. In view of this, Bihar Government’s Water Resources Minister Sanjay Jha has taken a dig at the Central Government’s Udaan scheme regarding airplane fares. He has raised serious questions on the intention of the scheme when the fare for direct flight between Delhi and Darbhanga is more than Rs 21 thousand in Diwali.