Agra: The first direct flight between Agra and Lucknow took off today with Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually flagging it off under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme of the Government of India. Scindia also announced additional flights from Kanpur and Lucknow in the coming months.
The Minister informed that with new flights, the time taken of 4-hour travel between Agra and Lucknow has now been reduced to just 1 hour flight.
Lucknow has become the third city connected with Agra via direct flights after Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Agra Airport is a Civil Enclave owned by the Indian Air Force and operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Indigo airlines has been awarded the Agra – Lucknow route under the UDAN 3.0. The airline will deploy its ATR 72 aircraft on the route.
Lucknow along with Agra and Varanasi is part of the Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc, a chain of survey triangulations created by the Government of Uttar Pradesh to boost tourism in the state. Moreover, the city is known for its booming tourism industry along with footwear, leather, and other manufacturing units. The Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort are UNESCO World Heritage Sites that receive visitors from all over the world. These new flights will provide more travel options for the tourists and common people to travel on these sectors which will boost the economy of the region.
Moreover, under the Gati Shakti plan of the Government of India, all infrastructural developments will help raise the global profile of local manufacturers and help them compete with their counterparts worldwide. It also raises possibilities of new future economic zones.
Till date, 371 routes and 60 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme.
“I assure the people of Uttar Pradesh that these are just initial steps for strengthening of aerial connectivity of the state,” Scindia said.
– global bihari bureau
