Air travel from Raja Bhoj Airport is set for a significant expansion as the new summer season schedule comes into effect on March 29. The updated roster features a total of 40 flights (20 pairs), marking a substantial increase in city-to-city connectivity and offering travellers more flexible timing and additional destination options. A major highlight of the summer schedule is Air India Express establishing a formal base station in Bhopal. The airline is poised to launch its operations with a direct flight to Bengaluru. In a sign of long-term commitment, the carrier has already leased space at the airport for its administrative offices and booking centres.

 

The establishment of a base station is expected to pave the way for more direct routes in the future, catering to long-standing demands from local commuters. Delhi and Mumbai lead flight frequency: The new schedule prioritises high-demand routes, with Delhi securing the maximum frequency of seven daily flights. This ensures round-the-clock connectivity for passengers catching international or domestic connections from the national capital. Mumbai will be served by four daily flights, including a new service by Air India.

 

Other major connections include three flights to Bengaluru and two to Hyderabad. Regular services to Pune, Ahmedabad and Raipur will also continue to operate as part of the schedule spanning from March 29 to October 24. IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express will be the primary operators for the season. Passengers can now avail direct services to Delhi, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Raipur. Notably, IndiGo has already opened bookings for its additional services to Navi Mumbai and Hyderabad. Despite the overall growth, several highly anticipated routes remain missing from the direct connectivity map.

 

Travellers heading to Surat, Shirdi, Dehradun, Kolkata, Jaipur, Amritsar and Lucknow will still have to rely on connecting flights via Delhi or Mumbai, as no direct services were announced for these sectors in this phase. Airport Director Ramjee Awasthi stated that the primary objective of the summer schedule was to strengthen existing regional links. “Efforts are consistently being made to enhance domestic capacity to meet growing demand. We are also in continuous dialogue regarding the commencement of international flight operations,” Awasthi said.