The Chhattisgarh government has sought proposals from private airlines to connect the industrial towns and other major centres with the state capital by air.
The civil aviation department of the state government has invited the Expression of Interest (EOI) from reputed aviation operators, firms and companies for operation schedule air services within Chhattisgarh.
The daily flight schedule shall operate to connect Raipur with the industrial towns of Korba and Raigarh besides major centres including Bilaspur, Jashpur, Jagdalpur in Bastar district and Ambikapur in Surguja district.
All the centres have state and public sector-owned airstrips that are suitable for B-200, B-300 Dornier, ATR-42-500 and turboprop aircrafts. The civil aviation department plans to begin the operations by October.
State government has assured the operators that the service would be viable as a good number of industrialists and businessmen travel to Korba (about 220 km) and Raigarh (about 250 km) daily. While Korba houses several power plants besides Vedanta-controlled Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (Balco), Raigarh is developing as a major industrial centre.
“The state government will under write seats per flights if schedule route are unviable,” a senior official in the department said, adding that the government would permit its officials to travel by air within the state.
Under sops offered for the operators, they will not have to pay the landing and parking charges. The operators will have to pay the security arrangement fee to the respective district administration as per actual basis. The operator will have to establish their base at Raipur or any other place within the state besides giving guarantee to the government for operating the daily flights as per published schedules.