Yogi Adityanath has big air connectivity plans for UP's three big cities

Yogi Adityanath

The Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath has proposed a mega incentive policy for airlines willing to connect the three most prominent cities in the state – Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Lucknow, according to an Economic Times report.

Currently, there are no flight services from the capital Lucknow to Varanasi or Gorakhpur. These cities are the constituencies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Adityanath respectively.

As of now, for flying to these cities, one will have to fly to Delhi even though these three cities have functional airports. In fact, Varanasi and Lucknow are both international airports.

A State Civil Aviation Promotion Policy 2017 (UP) is now being drafted for the same.

The policy suggests reimbursing the revenue collected in state GST share on tickets to the first airline which will offer the inter-connectivity between these three important centres in UP. Apart from that, other incentives may be provided to airlines offering new flights from Lucknow, Varanasi or Gorakhpur to other states.

The policy also says that Rs 2,500 per vacant seat up to total of 15 percent of seats will be provided to the airline company. Initially, the incentives will be offered for a year, along with free parking. VAT on ATF (air turbine fuel) also will be waived off.

The airline is also liable to get a compensation equal to UP’s VGF (viability gap funding) share of Rs. 400 per seat on half of the seats.

As of now, Lucknow is connected to Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Delhi, Dehradun, Bengaluru and Bhopal. Varanasi is also connected to these centres.

UP may also waive off its SGST share and underwrite 50 percent of vacant seats for three years on connecting flights under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.