 "SpiceJet")
SpiceJet will soon launch flights to Lakshadweep, as the airline enjoys exclusive rights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), Ajay Singh, the carrier’s chairman and managing director, said at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday.
Lakshadweep has one operational airport on Agatti Island, 90 minutes from Kochi. All domestic flights to the island are routed through Kochi.
Apart from plans to start flights to the archipelago, SpiceJet said it has plans to launch flights to Ayodhya from major cities across India.
The low-cost carrier’s plans to launch flight services to Lakshadweep come amid strained relations between India and the Maldives, worsened by travel platform EaseMyTrip’s suspension of flight bookings to the island nation.
EaseMyTrip had suspended the flight bookings on Monday after social media posts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Lakshadweep visit drew harsh remarks from three Maldivian deputy ministers who have since been suspended.
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Another travel booking website, Cleartrip, witnessed a two-fold increase in cancellation of flight bookings to the Maldives.
That said, Rajiv Mehra, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators, has called for the introduction of additional flights and development of infrastructure suitable for tourism in Lakshadweep.
“For Lakshadweep, there is a police clearance certificate that is required for Indians. This rule should be amended, and more flights should be introduced. This can be done immediately and the rest of the infrastructure should be upgraded over time,” he said.
Meanwhile, 2023 saw the commencement of 60 new RCS routes, whereas 154 new RCS routes were awarded under the Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme. RCS-UDAN was launched in 2016 to enable air operations on unserved or underserved routes connecting different regions.
