Rourkela: Air connectivity between Rourkela and Bhubaneswar resumed on Friday after being suspended for four months. IndiaOne Air restarted the service using a nine-seater aircraft.
The flight left Bhubaneswar at 12:30 pm and reached Rourkela around noon. The airline said the service will run six days a week, except on Thursdays.
Earlier, Alliance Air operated this route with a larger ATR-72 aircraft. The shift to a smaller plane has led to concerns among residents about whether the service can meet growing passenger demand.
Rourkela is an important industrial and educational centre, home to the Rourkela Steel Plant, NIT Rourkela, BPUT, the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, and several industries and mines. Many local stakeholders feel that the city needs flights with more seating capacity to support business travellers, students, and sports teams.
