Summer travel: Airport set for new flights, infrastructure revamp

Indore: Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport is gearing up for a high-intensity summer season with completion of critical infrastructure work and launch of new flight routes to Goa, Hyderabad and Belagavi.The airport is expected to be operational 24/7 by the end of March following completion of runway recarpeting and renovation of the old terminal. The airlines are also expanding their rosters, giving travellers from Indore more choices for their summer holidays.As part of its expansion plan, Fly91 is preparing to launch services connecting Indore to Jalgaon and Hyderabad. The airline has also applied to DGCA for a direct Indore-Goa flight, planned to commence in May.Starting March 30, Star Air will reconnect Indore with Belagavi and Kolhapur. These flights will operate via Mumbai, allowing passengers to complete their journey without changing aircraft. The flights will run three days a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Star Air, which previously operated the Belagavi route in 2019, is leveraging its Mumbai-bound flights to offer these new connections to Maharashtra and Karnataka.Maintenance work that previously restricted night operations (closing runway for nearly eight hours each night) is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. This will allow for a significant jump in flight frequency from April onwards.The renovation of the old terminal is in its final stages. Once opened, it will primarily handle ATR (smaller) aircraft, reducing the burden on the main terminal."With the runway expected to be available 24 hours from April, we are seeing significant interest from airlines to launch new services," Indore airport PRO Ramswarup Yadav said, adding that the combination of better infrastructure and increased flight options would provide a seamless experience for summer travellers.