Gujaratstartups, VADODARA: Air India is expected to commence its new flight Delhi-Vadodara-Delhi with effect from March 27.

"We are delighted that our crusade in getting additional flights has succeeded. We appreciate the promptness with which Union minister for civil aviation Vayalar Ravi has redressed our grievance," Federation of Gujarat Industries president Geeta Goradia said on Friday.

The Air India is commencing the new flight in addition to the Delhi-Vadodara-Delhi flight which is an evening flight, she said.

"This will facilitate one full day at Delhi or Vadodara for conducting any business without an overnight halt and thus lessen the problems faced by Barodians to quite an extent," said Goradia, adding that the federation is hoping that even other airlines would follow suit.

The new flight will depart from Delhi at 5.50 am and arrive at Vadodara at 7.30 am. After this, it will depart from Vadodara at 8 am and land at Delhi at 9.40 am.

It was early this month that FGI had made a representation to Ravi to increase the number of flights ex-Vadodara and extending of Air Traffic Control (ATC) watch hours. In its letter addressed to Ravi, FGI had stated that although Vadodara lies at the heart of  Gujarat and is the nerve centre of all road and railway communications to all destinations, it severely lacks air links to all major metropolises.

It had also highlighted an anomaly regarding the airfare as airfare from Vadodara to Mumbai is five times higher than the airfare from Ahmedabad to Mumbai.

Source: Times Of India