Jamshedpur: Regional airline IndiaOne Air may discontinue one of its flights from the Sonari airport from Saturday. The flight operator has earlier announced that its air services from Jamshedpur to Kolkata will be suspended from January 31, while flights from Jamshedpur to Bhubaneswar will be discontinued from February 28.
According to information shared by the airline with its employees via email, the reason behind this decision is the uncertainty over the extension of the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). It had clarified that the validity of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) is nearing expiry. In the absence of an extension, the airline will be left with no option but to halt operations on both routes.
Sources said that along with the possible withdrawal of the RCS, the financial concessions provided by the Tata Steel group at Sonari Airport—including landing, parking and terminal management support—would also come to an end, making the continuation of services financially unviable.
Taking up the matter, Kunal Sharangi, central spokesperson of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had met Tata Steel Managing Director T. V. Narendran. Sharangi had urged Tata Steel to continue extending concessions to IndiaOne Air at Sonari Airport so that the Jamshedpur–Kolkata and Jamshedpur–Bhubaneswar air services can remain operational.
During the meeting, Sharangi had also requested that until a permanent solution is found for the proposed Dhalbhumgarh airport, the existing runway at Sonari Airport should be extended to allow ATR aircraft—earlier operated on the route—to resume operations, benefiting residents of Jamshedpur.
Responding to the concerns, Narendran had assured that if the central government extends the RCS for Jamshedpur, Tata Steel will continue to bear expenses related to landing charges, parking fees and terminal management, as it has done earlier, to ensure uninterrupted air connectivity. He added that initiatives are already underway to extend the existing Sonari Airport runway, and concerned officials have been directed to prepare the necessary technical proposals.
Sharangi said he would also approach Hemant Soren, requesting him to take up the issue with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to secure a timely extension of the RCS for Jamshedpur, so that air connectivity to Kolkata and Bhubaneswar is not disrupted.
The possible suspension of flights has raised concerns among passengers and business communities, for whom these routes serve as vital air links connecting Jamshedpur with major eastern Indian cities.
