Jet Airways, which recently completed 25 years of operations, is likely to start operations on the routes it won under the round 2 of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme. Some of the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) have started showing flights for sale. These flights have been numbered 9W 3xxx but are not yet open for sale on the airline website. Surprisingly, even the stations like Allahabad and Nashik which come online for the airline are not listed on the booking engine on jetairways.com
The airline which had not participated in the first round of bidding had won bids to operate thrice weekly services between Delhi and Nashik to be operated by the Boeing B737 aircraft. The airline won thrice a week services to be operated by ATR72 to connect Allahabad with Indore, Lucknow, Nagpur and Patna along with operations between Bareilly – Delhi and Bareilly – Lucknow.
The services to Nashik will see 40 seats in each flight to be subsidised under UDAN-RCS and would see competition from IndiGo which has won a bid to start seven weekly services between Nashik and Hindon – the Indian Air Force base will see civil operations owing to the capacity shortage at Delhi Airport.
Jet Airways will have monopoly between Allahabad and Indore, Allahabad – Nagpur and Allahabad – Patna where 36 seats will be subsidised on each of the thrice weekly flights. The airline will also operate thrice a week services between Allahabad and Lucknow, a route which has also been awarded to Turbo Aviation for a daily service with a 19 seater aircraft.
The flight services to Nashik are expected from 15th June and operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while services from Allahabad will progressively start from 14th June with flights to Indore and Nagpur to be operated on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday while those to Lucknow and Patna to be operated on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
The timings as available on some OTAs is as below
9W3565 DEL1200 – 1405ISK
9W3566 ISK1435 – 1625DEL
On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays
9W3555 LKO0600 – 0735IXD
9W3558 IXD0800 – 0940PAT
9w3557 PAT1010 – 1150IXD
9W3556 IXD1220 – 1400LKO
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturday
9W3553 NAG0945 –1150IXD
9W 3552 IXD1220 – 1440IDR
9W3551 IDR1510 – 1715IXD
9W 3554 IXD1740 – 1945NAG
All of this is subject to change and a final schedule from Jet Airways is awaited and expected in the coming week. The airline which recently relaunched services to Imphal will see quick addition of two new stations in its network – Nashik and Allahabad. While Nashik is an airport controlled by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, it has a large civil enclave. The airport at Allahabad is operated by the Indian Air Force and is expected to see rapid expansion before the Ardh Kumbh Mela in 2019.
This leaves the airline with just two routes connecting Bareilly to Delhi and Lucknow, which it has won under UDAN-RCS but yet to see light of the day.
Wishing Jet Airways the very best for operations under UDAN-RCS and hope the new linkages benefit the passengers.
NetworkThoughts 