The Indian government has issued a notice calling upon Air Odisha (Bhubaneshwar) to explain why it had terminated services to Jharsuguda on October 6, just two weeks after they had been launched, Pragativadi has reported.
The Indian regional specialist launched flights between Bhubaneshwar and Jharsuguda in eastern India on September 22, 2018, after the airport had been officially inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, services ceased just two weeks later and have not resumed since. Air Odisha gave a vague explanation for its decision to suspend Jharsuguda operations, citing operational and technical reasons.
Since October 7, Jharsuguda has not seen any scheduled traffic.
The Indian government wants to establish if Air Odisha had valid grounds to terminate the route, which it had been allocated under the UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme) programme.
If the airline fails to sufficiently explain its decision or resume operations to Jharsuguda, it could even be stripped off its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC), the government warned.
