Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from Khajuraho, V.D. Sharma, met Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi on 31 July, pressing the Centre to expand air connectivity from the Madhya Pradesh heritage town and open new regional routes under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme. The meeting comes as Khajuraho Airport has been without scheduled commercial flight operations since 1 July, with a resumption unlikely before September or October.

What Sharma Demanded

During the late Thursday meeting, Sharma urged the Ministry of Civil Aviation to restore and increase direct flights from Khajuraho to Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, and Bhopal. He also sought the addition of new regional routes under the Centre's UDAN scheme, which is designed to make air travel affordable and accessible to smaller cities and towns.

According to a statement issued by Sharma's office, the MP argued that Khajuraho Airport now possesses modern infrastructure and that the priority should shift to leveraging that capacity for tourism and economic development. 'Khajuraho is one of India's most important heritage destinations. Better air connectivity will make travel easier for tourists and boost tourism, hospitality, local businesses, employment and investment in the Bundelkhand region,' Sharma said.

Ministry's Response

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu reportedly assured Sharma that the Ministry would examine the proposals and take appropriate steps to improve air connectivity from Khajuraho, according to the statement from the MP's office. No formal timeline or commitment was announced publicly.

The Connectivity Gap

Khajuraho Airport has had no scheduled commercial services since 1 July. Airport Director Santosh Singh has indicated that regular operations are expected to resume around September–October. The disruption has drawn renewed attention to a long-standing demand from local stakeholders, who argue that unreliable air links undercut the region's tourism potential.

Notably, Khajuraho Airport this week topped the Airports Authority of India's (AAI) Customer Satisfaction Index — a ranking that measures passenger experience and airport services, not flight frequency or commercial operations. The apparent paradox of a top-ranked airport with zero scheduled flights has sharpened the call for action.

Why Khajuraho Connectivity Matters

Khajuraho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its medieval temples, was previously connected to Delhi and Varanasi. The Bundelkhand region, which remains one of Madhya Pradesh's more economically lagging areas, depends significantly on tourism inflows. Stakeholders — including hoteliers, tour operators, and local businesses — have long argued that consistent air access is essential to unlocking the region's full economic potential. This is not the first time the connectivity issue has been raised; demands for route restoration have persisted for several years, making the current zero-flights situation a particularly acute setback.

With the Ministry now formally on notice, the next steps will depend on whether airlines express interest under the UDAN framework and whether the government moves to incentivise operations on these routes.