Domestic air travel surges in Jharkhand, new routes on horizon

Mail News Service

Ranchi / New Delhi, July 25: In response to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha by Deepak Prakash, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has revealed a significant boost to air connectivity in Jharkhand. The state has witnessed a 10.64% increase in domestic air passengers over the past year.

Prakash had asked the Minister of Civil Aviation to state whether the number of domestic air passengers had increased in Jharkhand and, if so, to provide details and future plans for air services in the state.

Answering the query, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, shared that the number of passengers traveling to and from Jharkhand on scheduled domestic flights rose from 24.79 lakh in 2022-23 to 27.43 lakh in 2023-24.

Mohol also outlined the current operational routes under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) in Jharkhand, which include Deoghar-Kolkata-Deoghar, Deoghar-Patna-Deoghar, Deoghar-Ranchi-Deoghar and Jamshedpur-Kolkata-Jamshedpur.

Looking ahead, the ministry has plans to further expand air connectivity in the state. New routes connecting Bokaro, Dumka, and Hazaribagh have been awarded to selected airline operators under various rounds of the RCS-UDAN scheme. These services are expected to commence once the respective airports are ready for operations. This expansion in air travel options is likely to boost tourism, business, and overall economic growth in Jharkhand, making the state more accessible to travellers from across the country.