Ranchi Airport Expands Connectivity: New Flights to Ayodhya, Varanasi, and More Planned

Ranchi: Planning a trip to the hills or a spiritual getaway? Flyers from Ranchi may soon find it easier to reach some of the country’s most popular nature and pilgrimage destinations, as Birsa Munda Airport authorities explore plans to expand air connectivity to several new cities.The decision was taken during a recent meeting of the airport advisory committee, chaired by Ranchi MP and Union minister of state for defence, Sanjay Seth, held on Wednesday. At the advisory committee meeting, the authorities discussed proposals to connect the airport with Raipur, Ayodhya, Guwahati, Varanasi, Jaipur and Bagdogra, which would allow passengers from Ranchi easier access to destinations known for their natural and religious tourism appeal.Birsa Munda airport director Vinod Kumar on Friday told TOI that the move aims to enhance direct flight options from Ranchi, making air travel more convenient for passengers while also supporting tourism, trade and economic activities in Jharkhand.He added that during the meeting, several committee members raised the issue of connecting cities in eastern, northeastern, and central India with Ranchi airport, which would benefit both business travellers and tourists.“The chairman has also given his assent to the proposal and assured us that he will raise the matter with the civil aviation ministry for necessary assistance. The passengers here in Jharkhand have also been pushing for the launch of connectivity to these destinations for a long time. Now we have moved forward in the direction and will carry forward our discussions with the airlines operating at the airport to soon launch the connectivity,” the director said. Apart from discussing launching new flight services, various other issues related to the development of the airport and enhancing passenger facilities were also discussed at the meeting. The installation of a CAT–II lighting system, required for ensuring smooth flight operations during low visibility situations at the airport, was also discussed. The installation has been stalled due to the unavailability of land.“The 90% work of the installation of the lighting system has already been completed at the airport, but the rest of the work is not progressing due to land allocation issues. Due to the obstacle, many flights are getting cancelled or delayed at the airport since the winter onset. The committee took stock of the situation at the meeting. We are hoping to solve the issues soon,” Kumar added.