Bhopal gets 4 new air routes: Mohan Yadav flags off Alliance Air flights
Synopsis
Madhya Pradesh has completed its first wave of air connectivity expansion, with CM Mohan Yadav flagging off four new Alliance Air routes on 9 August — including a direct Bhopal-Patna link and two corridors to Kolkata. All eight routes approved under the state's Civil Aviation Policy-2025 are now operational, backed by Viability Gap Funding of up to ₹10 lakh per round trip.
Key Takeaways
CM Mohan Yadav flagged off four new air routes from Raja Bhoj Airport, Bhopal on 9 August 2025 .
New routes: Bhopal-Rewa , Bhopal-Patna , Rewa-Kolkata , and Jabalpur-Kolkata , operated by Alliance Air .
State government provides Viability Gap Funding of up to ₹10 lakh per round trip under the MP Civil Aviation Policy-2025 .
All eight routes approved under the policy are now operational; four earlier routes including Indore-Abu Dhabi had already launched.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla attended the inauguration.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday, 9 August flagged off four new direct air services from Raja Bhoj Airport, Bhopal, marking a significant expansion of intra-state and inter-state air connectivity under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy-2025. The new routes are being operated by Alliance Air.
The Four New Routes
The newly launched air services connect Bhopal-Rewa, Bhopal-Patna, Rewa-Kolkata, and Jabalpur-Kolkata. Chief Minister Yadav personally flagged off the inaugural Bhopal-Rewa flight at the launch event. Financial support for these routes is being provided through Viability Gap Funding of up to ₹10 lakh per round trip under the state's civil aviation policy.
Context: Eight Routes Approved, Eight Now Operational
Under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy-2025, a total of eight new air routes have been approved. Four routes — Rewa-Delhi, Rewa-Indore, Rewa-Raipur, and Indore-Abu Dhabi — had already commenced operations prior to Sunday's event. The four routes inaugurated on 9 August complete the full slate of approved services under the current phase of the policy.
What Each Route Means for Travellers
The Bhopal-Rewa service strengthens the link between the state capital and the Vindhya region, an area that has historically lacked direct air access to Bhopal. The Bhopal-Patna route is expected to benefit the sizeable Bihar-origin population residing in Madhya Pradesh, as well as traders, businesspersons, and students travelling between the two state capitals.
Direct flights on the Rewa-Kolkata and Jabalpur-Kolkata corridors are designed to deepen air connectivity between key Madhya Pradesh cities and Eastern India, reducing dependence on long-distance surface travel for passengers and cargo alike.
Senior Officials Attend the Launch
The inauguration was attended by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, and Union Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha. Officials said the expanded network is expected to accelerate tourism, trade, education, and economic activity, while also attracting investment and supporting employment in aviation-related sectors.
What Comes Next
The state government has signalled that air connectivity expansion will remain a priority, with the civil aviation policy aimed at linking Madhya Pradesh's cities to major national and international destinations. With all eight approved routes now operational, the focus is expected to shift to sustaining ridership on the new services and evaluating further route additions.
Point of View
But the harder test begins now: whether state-subsidised Viability Gap Funding can sustain commercially thin routes like Rewa-Kolkata over the long term. Alliance Air operating all four routes concentrates operational risk in a single carrier. The Bhopal-Patna link is the most commercially interesting — it taps a real migrant-and-trade corridor that surface transport serves poorly. If ridership on that route holds, it could make the case for further bilateral state-capital connections across central India.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which four new air routes were launched from Bhopal on 9 August?
The four new routes launched on 9 August are Bhopal-Rewa, Bhopal-Patna, Rewa-Kolkata, and Jabalpur-Kolkata, all operated by Alliance Air. CM Mohan Yadav flagged off the inaugural Bhopal-Rewa flight at Raja Bhoj Airport.
What is the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy-2025?
It is a state government initiative to expand air connectivity across Madhya Pradesh by approving new routes and providing Viability Gap Funding of up to ₹10 lakh per round trip to make thin routes commercially viable. Eight routes have been approved under the policy's current phase, all of which are now operational.
What is Viability Gap Funding and how much is being offered?
Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is financial support provided by the state government to airlines to make otherwise unviable routes commercially sustainable. Under the MP Civil Aviation Policy-2025, the state is offering up to ₹10 lakh per round trip for the new domestic routes.
Which routes were already operational before 9 August?
Four routes — Rewa-Delhi, Rewa-Indore, Rewa-Raipur, and Indore-Abu Dhabi — had commenced operations before Sunday's inauguration. The four routes launched on 9 August complete all eight approved under the current policy phase.
Who attended the inauguration of the new air routes?
The event was attended by Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, and Union Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, alongside Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
