IndiGo's Potential Twice-Daily ATR Flights Connect Aurangabad and Pune: Economic Boost for Maharashtra

The vibrant aerospace and transport landscape in India is once again at the center of public conversation, as the Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF) has formally urged IndiGo Airlines to introduce twice-daily ATR flight services between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) and Pune. This proposed route, if actualized, could become a milestone effort to transform the travel and transit dynamic between two of Maharashtra’s most economically significant cities. As the topic garners momentum among business leaders, commuters, and policymakers alike, it’s worth exploring the practical implications, economic impact, potential risks, and broader context of this appeal.

The Current Reality: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Pune, a Vital Yet Underserved Corridor​

India’s vast expanse means that travel between even relatively proximate cities can pose logistical challenges, and the corridor between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune is a striking illustration of this. Both cities are hubs of industrial, commercial, and educational activity. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, with its pronounced manufacturing and tourism credentials, stands as a gateway to UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. Pune, meanwhile, is established as a thriving IT, educational, and automotive powerhouse, dotted with research institutes and multinational headquarters.
Despite these strengths, direct air connectivity between the two remains nonexistent. Travellers are left with a single genuine option: a cumbersome 5–6-hour road journey that can be grueling due to both distance and unpredictable traffic on National Highway 753F. For the thousands of traders, entrepreneurs, students, and professionals commuting daily, the absence of a quick and reliable air route represents a persistent bottleneck. This is not merely an inconvenience; it is a constraint that arguably curtails economic synergy, stymies investment, and even dampens cultural exchange between the regions.

The Call to Action: Why IndiGo?​

It is not surprising, then, that Sunit Kothari, chairman of the ATDF civil aviation committee, has publicly called upon IndiGo—India’s largest airline by passenger numbers and fleet size—to recognize and fulfill this critical need. In his communication, Kothari points to the recent move by the Indian Air Force to allow additional arrival and departure slots at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport. This change, after years of capacity limitations, lays down the most significant infrastructural roadblock, making the skies friendlier for commercial operators.
Why IndiGo and why now? The answer lies in IndiGo’s dominant market presence and its growing ATR fleet. Specifically designed for short-haul, regional routes, ATR aircraft, such as the ATR 72-600 in IndiGo’s fleet, offer low operating costs and robust performance even at smaller airports with modest infrastructure. This advantage would allow a seamless integration into current IndiGo operations, particularly for sectors like Pune-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar that cannot consistently fill an A320-class jet but can readily support a 72-seater turboprop.

Proposed Flight Timings: A Blueprint for Business and Convenience​

Kothari’s advocacy doesn’t simply rest at a vague call for “more flights.” Instead, he outlines an actionable blueprint: twice-daily service, with one flight in the morning and the other in the evening. This schedule is designed to maximize convenience for business and academic travelers, offering viable same-day return options for meetings, site visits, interviews, and emergencies. Morning flights could cater to professionals catching early appointments or connecting onward from Pune, while an evening return would capture those concluding business in the city.
The economic and social implications are significant. The time saved—reducing the transit window from 5–6 hours on the road to under an hour in the air—could unlock productivity, foster deeper business ties, and enhance quality-of-life for commuters. It would also have a pronounced impact on tourism, making quick getaways between Pune’s cosmopolitan charm and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s heritage circuits not just possible, but practical.

Economic Impact: Turning a Longstanding Bottleneck Into Opportunity​

Direct air connectivity does more than merely shorten a commute. Several independent studies on regional air service development—both in India and globally—have shown decisive positive effects on local economies when direct flights are introduced between high-potential city pairs. For example, research from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) highlights that each new direct link between cities can catalyze millions of dollars in additional trade, tourism, and investment over time. The case for Maharashtra is particularly strong given the presence of robust SME clusters, educational campuses, and a growing services sector in both cities.
By facilitating faster and more reliable movement between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune, a twice-daily service could provide a direct boost to sectors like IT/ITES, automotive manufacturing, biotech, and higher education. It could also spur the hospitality sector in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, allowing domestic and international tourists to integrate World Heritage tours more seamlessly into their Pune-anchored itineraries. In the long term, this dynamic could support job creation, urban renewal, and the retention of talent that might otherwise cluster in mega-cities like Mumbai.

Infrastructure Readiness and Policy Tailwinds​

A critical factor underpinning this push is the improved infrastructure at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport. Until recently, restrictive military-use schedules and the lack of commercial flight slots were major hurdles for any prospective airline entrant. The Indian Air Force’s decision to allocate more arrival and departure windows finally addresses this long-standing complaint. Verified government press releases and statements corroborate that plans are underway to further expand the airport’s civil enclave and enhance passenger amenities, suggesting that operational bottlenecks are being strategically addressed.
In parallel, the Government of India’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) regional connectivity scheme continues to incentivize the launch of flights on underserved routes. Under UDAN, airlines receive viability gap funding and access to reduced airport charges, which has been instrumental in driving recent expansions of regional networks by players including IndiGo, Alliance Air, and SpiceJet. While it is unclear—pending further verification—whether the Pune-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar sector could formally fit into UDAN’s latest eligible pairs, past precedent indicates that civic and industry pressure can shape state and federal aviation authorities’ priorities.

Challenges and Risks: Sustainability, Commercial Feasibility, and Beyond​

Despite widespread support, critical analysis demands a clear-eyed view of the risks and potential downsides to launching and sustaining a regional air service on this sector. Key questions abound:

Will Capacity Meet Demand?​

Historical precedents in Indian aviation are littered with examples of flights being launched with fanfare, only to be withdrawn months later due to poor load factors. The ATDF’s advocacy leans heavily on pent-up demand, but robust, up-to-date passenger movement data is needed to validate claims of daily volumes that can fill two ATR flights in each direction. While anecdotal reports from travel agents and business groups suggest strong interest, only a sustained marketing and awareness campaign—alongside introductory fare sales—could provide the traction necessary for the service to become self-supporting.

Competition from Ground Transport​

Even as air connectivity offers unrivaled speed, the expansion and improvement of road infrastructure in Maharashtra—particularly ongoing upgrades to highways and the rollout of express bus services—cannot be ignored. As ride-sharing grows and bus operators innovate with comfortable, WiFi-enabled services, pricing will be a decisive factor. If the new air route is priced far above prevailing road alternatives, especially in the face of price-sensitive student and SME travelers, habitual commuters may not shift loyalties en masse.

Airport Infrastructure and APRON Congestion​

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s airport, while improved, remains modest compared to India’s metro hubs. Eventual peaks in arrival and departure traffic, especially if more airlines heed the call for new regional routes, could strain ground services, baggage handling, and security checks. This scenario could erode the very benefits that frequent flights are intended to bring—unless a proactive plan for airport expansion and process improvement is followed through.

Environmental Considerations​

The revival and expansion of regional air services carry an environmental footprint. Though ATR turboprop aircraft are among the most fuel-efficient in their class, their impact on local and global emissions is not negligible. Environmental advocates are likely to press for sustainable practices, from carbon offset programs to smarter air traffic management, to ensure that incremental connectivity does not undermine broader state and national climate goals. Transparency around emission mitigation and responsible aviation practices will become increasingly vital.

The Role of IndiGo: Market Leader at a Crossroads​

IndiGo’s response to ATDF’s request will be an important signal to the wider market. As India’s leading domestic carrier, IndiGo has built its empire on a lean, punctual, and heavily networked model. Past expansion into regional, short-haul routes using its ATR fleet has generally aligned with government incentives and visible, year-round demand. However, IndiGo also faces tighter fleet commonality challenges, with some previous ATR sectors failing to meet expectations and early-phase route withdrawals occurring in regions like the Northeast and Central India.
Should IndiGo decide to launch these services, it will need a multifaceted approach:

• Leverage data-driven demand forecasting, using both historical traffic movement and forward-looking business sentiment surveys.
• Forge partnerships with industry associations, educational institutions, and tourism bodies in both cities to provide group booking deals and loyalty program incentives.
• Collaborate with local governments to optimize airport arrival and departure processes, enhancing the passenger experience and ensuring reliability.
• Champion sustainability commitments with measurable targets and transparent reporting, thereby positioning the new service as future-proof and socially responsible.

Comparative Context: Lessons from Other Regional Air Corridors​

India’s experience with regional air connectivity is a mixed bag. Successful launches, such as the Hyderabad–Vijayawada corridor and the Bengaluru–Mysuru link, offer instructive blueprints. These routes gained early traction thanks to:

• Strong state government buy-in, including travel guarantees and promotional support.
• Integration with allied rail and road connections, ensuring that passengers could complete multi-modal journeys efficiently.
• Aggressive fare structuring in the early months to incentivize ‘trial usage’ by sceptical ground travelers.

Conversely, failure stories abound where routes were launched without such holistic planning—and where connectivity was not subsequently promoted as part of a wider “ease of doing business” and tourism growth agenda.

Community Outlook: Local Voices and the Road Ahead​

Feedback from the SME sector, educational institutions, and the hospitality industry in both cities has—at least from early reports—been universally positive. Multiple stakeholders see the flights not just as a transportation option, but a symbol of aspiration and progress for Tier-2 and Tier-3 Indian cities. The argument is made that world-class airports and frequent flights are not the privilege of major metros alone, and that connectivity breeds opportunity, job growth, and improved quality of life.
Yet, local authorities must remain vigilant. Transparency is needed in route performance reporting, regular stakeholder consultations, and a willingness to recalibrate the offering based on passenger feedback. Political will is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for transportation reform: sustained success relies equally on evidence-based decision-making and operational excellence.

Conclusion: The Promise and the Challenge of New Regional Flights in India​

The plea by ATDF and civic leaders for twice-daily IndiGo flights between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune is about much more than convenience. It’s a powerful statement of regional ambition and a potential linchpin in Maharashtra’s ongoing economic transformation. If well-executed, such a service could sharply reduce business friction, bolster tourism, drive investment, and reposition both cities as more accessible to each other and to the wider world.
But this is not a foregone conclusion. Success hinges on aligning demand, sensible pricing, and airport readiness, all underpinned by transparent performance tracking and iterative learning. IndiGo and other Indian airlines have before them a unique opportunity to shape the post-pandemic future of regional aviation, championing not just volume, but value and sustainability.
As civic and economic voices get louder, the onus is now on industry, regulators, and local communities to collectively ensure that new air links don’t just take off—but stay airborne, propelling Indian cities big and small into the next era of connected growth.

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Source: lokmattimes.com IndiGo urged to launch twice-daily flights between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune - www.lokmattimes.com