The newly introduced routes will link Bhopal with Rewa and Patna, provide direct services connecting Rewa and Jabalpur to Kolkata, boosting commerce, tourism, and passenger convenience.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Naidu said air connectivity is expanding nationwide, noting historic progress in the sector over the last 12 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
“The government created the UDAN scheme and built 90 airports. The number of our aircraft has doubled, and the public has benefited greatly. Today, tier-two and tier-three cities have transformed,” he said.
He lauded the Madhya Pradesh government’s new aviation policy, calling it the best in the country.
The Central government will spend Rs 29,000 crore over the next ten years under the UDAN scheme, he said, noting that airport construction completely transforms local economies and that 1,700 new aircraft are expected to arrive in the country.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav noted that Madhya Pradesh’s connectivity with other states has improved, and Patna can now be reached from the capital Bhopal in just a few hours. Kolkata is also directly connected to the state.The Union minister and the chief minister also distributed boarding passes to passengers on the occasion.
Yadav said that major airports in Jabalpur, Gwalior, Bhopal, and Indore were built during the British era, while Khajuraho Airport was established when the Janata Party came to power.
“Today, Madhya Pradesh has received three new airports in three years. New airports are being built in the state due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said, adding that the state has secured approval for five new airports and provides a subsidy of lakhs of rupees per flight.
Following the launch of an international flight from Indore to Abu Dhabi last month, an international service from Bhopal to Sharjah will begin in two months, he said.
People of the state will no longer need to travel to Delhi and Mumbai to catch international flights, Yadav added.
He further stated that Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to offer air ambulance facilities, transporting patients by plane where airstrips are available and by helicopter elsewhere.
Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla called it a historic day for the Vindhya region, which possesses abundant coal, power, and religious tourism potential.
He thanked the chief minister for formulating a widely praised aviation policy.
“Without air connectivity, trade and tourism cannot thrive. Today, air connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity. A dream is coming true, and even those wearing slippers will now be able to board an airplane,” he said.
The flights will be operated by Alliance Air, with the state government providing financial backing under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy-2025, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Civil Aviation) Sanjay Kumar Shukla told PTI.
The state government will provide Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of up to Rs 10 lakh for each round trip, he said.
The direct Bhopal-Rewa flight connects the state capital with the Vindhya region, while the Bhopal-Patna service links Madhya Pradesh directly to Bihar’s capital. Additionally, the new Rewa-Kolkata and Jabalpur-Kolkata routes establish direct links between these cities and Eastern India.