Rourkela residents raise alarm over shrinking air connectivity; government assures action

Discontent has surfaced in Rourkela over the sharp decline in air connectivity, with residents and several organisations questioning the absence of sustained aviation services in the industrial city. Despite hosting a world-class hockey stadium, premier institutions such as NIT and BPUT, and major industrial units, Rourkela has remained without regular commercial flight operations for nearly six months. At present, only a nine-seater aircraft is operating from the city.

Several organisations have warned of launching an agitation from January 1 if the issue is not addressed. Responding to the concerns, Commerce and Transport Department Principal Secretary Usha Padhee said steps would be taken soon to improve air connectivity in the city.

Residents Flag Downgrade in Services

Local resident Sripati Mishra criticised the reduction in flight capacity, stating that earlier services had recorded strong passenger demand.

“When flight services were operational, occupancy levels were around 85 to 90 per cent, as reflected in RTI reports. Despite this, ATR-72 operations were stopped, and no concrete steps were taken. Instead of upgrading to a 120-seater aircraft, services were downgraded to a nine-seater,” he said.

Residents pointed out that a large number of people continue to depend on Bhubaneswar for medical treatment and other essential travel. They said road and rail journeys take over 10 hours, making air travel the only practical option for faster connectivity.

Hockey Pro League Adds Urgency

Air services were launched in Rourkela in 2023 but were discontinued within a few months, triggering growing dissatisfaction among residents. The issue has gained urgency ahead of the Hockey Pro League scheduled in February, when players, officials and guests are expected to travel to the city.

Meanwhile, senior officials, including Development Commissioner Anu Garg and Commerce and Transport Department Principal Secretary Usha Padhee, are on a two-day visit to Rourkela. A meeting was held to discuss the resumption of flight operations, airport expansion and related infrastructure development.

“I visited the airport and discussed the process of handing it over to the Airports Authority of India for further development. We will make efforts to improve air connectivity from Rourkela,” Padhee said.

Development Commissioner Anu Garg said discussions are underway to expand the airport. “We are working towards airport expansion, and talks with the Rourkela Steel Plant in this regard are ongoing,” she said