Jharkhand

• 01 Aug 2022

Direct Flight Service Launched Between Delhi and Deoghar

Why in News

• On July 30, 2022, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Minister of State (General) for Civil Aviation Dr. V.K. Singh (Retd) launched the IndiGo airline's direct flight service between Delhi and Deoghar through the virtual medium.

Key Points

• With this new flight service, the total number of daily departures from Deoghar will be 11. This will help in seamless movement of pilgrims coming to Baba Baidyanath Dham. Apart from this, tourism will increase in Jharkhand.
• Significantly, the Deoghar airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 July this year. The Deoghar airport spread over 655 acres has been constructed at a cost of Rs 400 crore. With its completion, it has become the second airport in Jharkhand after Ranchi.
• The Civil Aviation Minister said that work is also being done to build 3 more airports in Jharkhand - at Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dumka, which will take the total number of airports in Jharkhand to 5.
• He said that 14 new routes connecting Jharkhand have been announced, out of which work has started on 2 routes – Deoghar-Kolkata and Delhi-Deoghar. In the coming days, Deoghar will be connected with Ranchi and Patna and Dumka with Ranchi and Kolkata. Once the Bokaro airport is ready, it will connect Patna and Kolkata.
• Under the 'UDAN' scheme, 425 routes and 68 airports, heliports, water aerodromes have been operated. More than 1 lakh 90 thousand flights have been operated under this scheme.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has constructed 66 airports in the last 8 years. Earlier in the year 2014, the number of airports was only 74. 220 new airports are being planned, including a water aerodrome and heliport, in the next 5 years.