Air India is all set to give more wings to its 'Connect India' programme by launching its services on two new routes, providing connectivity from the state capital to Hyderabad and Pune.
"Air India's wholly owned subsidiary, Alliance Air will start flights on Bhopal-Jabalpur-Hyderabad and Bhopal-Raipur-Pune sectors from May 23.
"These services will fulfill a long standing demand of the students' community, IT, Industrial and defence sector," Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, Anil Mehta told reporters here today.
Alliance Air will operate a 70-seater ATR aircraft on these routes, thus, giving connectivity to smaller destinations within the country under the government's scheme of connecting all cities.
The commencement of these routes shall connect Bhopal with Hyderabad, the capital of Southern state of Telangana, and Pune for the first time.
Alliance Air currently operates flights to 31 domestic destinations, which will increase to 34 destinations after the launch of these flights.
Flight AI 9863 on Bhopal-Jabalpur-Hyderabad shall operate four days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, Mehta said.
The flight will take-off from Bhopal at 0845 hrs and reach Jabalpur at 0950hrs. It will take-off from Jabalapur at 1020 hrs for its onward journey and will land at Hyderabad at 1220 hrs.
The return flight AI 9864 will take-off from Hyderabad at 1250 hrs and will reach Jabalpur at 1450 hrs. The flight will leave Jabalpur at 1450 hrs and will touch down Bhopal at 1625 hrs, he said.
Alliance Air will commence another direct flight AI 9867/9868 between Bhopal and Jabalpur from June 16.
The flight will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, thereby making the operation on this route, a daily one, the OSD said.
The flight AI 9865 on the second route Bhopal-Raipur-Pune will take off from Bhopal at 0845 hrs and reach Raipur at 1015 hrs. The flight will leave Raipur at 1045 hrs and reach Pune at 1300 hrs.
The return AI flight 9866 will leave Pune at 1330 hrs and reach Raipur at 1545 hrs. It will depart from Raipur at 1615 hrs and will touch down Bhopal at 1745 hrs. This flight shall operate thrice a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The DGCA granted the mandatory approval for C-2 check
(2,250 days inspection) on B 777 series aircraft fitted with GE 90-100/115 engines, in May 2015.
Subsequently, 'D' check (3,000 days inspection) approval was granted on February 19 this year, Jagannath said.
The MRO carried out first phase check (every 2,000 hours/240 days) of VT-ALN in June 2015. First 'D' Check of VT-ALL completed in April 2016. The first C-2 check of VT-ALT completed in May this year.
The MRO was also in the process of finalising a facility for Airbus aircraft and after an internal audit necessary papers are with the DGCA for approval, he said.
With the approval, the Airbus family aircraft A319, A320 and A321 series fitted with powerful engines, up to 4A check, will be admitted.
Jagannath said the state-of-the-art facility consists two wide body hangars (100m x 100m X 25m each) apron of size 70,000 sqm.
The MRO facility is designed for undertaking maintenance of any type and size of aircraft, including A-380.
Each hangar can accommodate one wide body or three narrow body aircraft at a time.
Air India will manage the MRO as an owner for maintenance of AI fleet and for other airlines.
Jagannath said the hangars are of international standard, fully equipped to fight fire with foam (deluge/sprinkler) and also equipped with mechanised German sliding door.
