India’s Ventura AirConnect re-attempts interstate services

Ventura AirConnect (Ahmedabad) has relaunched intra-state flights from Surat to four other cities under a Gujarat government subsidy scheme aimed at providing affordable air services in the Indian state.

On January 1, the airline launched non-stop daily flights to Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Amreli, and Bhavnagar, using two nine-seater Cessna (single turboprop) C208B Caravans. Launch fares in January start at INR1,999 rupee (USD26.7) one-way.

Ventura AirConnect director Ishver Dholakiya told reporters at the launch event the discounted fares would be offered for a month, whereafter tickets would increase to between INR2,500 (USD33) and INR3,500 (USD47) one-way, reported The Times of India. He said more routes would be added depending on feasibility.

This is the airline’s fourth attempt to provide intra-state flights since 2014, with previous unsuccessful attempts having been made in 2016 and 2018. Other interstate operations in 2015 with GSEC Aviation (Ahmedabad) and Mehair (Mumbai Int’l) also failed to gather sufficient support.