SpiceJet Discontinues Direct Flights From Hyderabad to Ayodhya
SpiceJet has discontinued its direct flights from Hyderabad to Ayodhya, effective June 1, according to a report in The Hindu. This thrice-weekly schedule ran until May 30, according to flight tracking websites. The airline operated an Airbus A320 aircraft on this route and had its inaugural service on April 2. Flight SG 611 departed from Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at 10:45 am, arriving at Ayodhya’s Maharishi Valmiki International Airport at 12:45 pm. On the return leg, SG 616, left Ayodhya at 1:25 pm and landed in Hyderabad at 3:25 pm.
Currently, passengers looking to travel from Hyderabad to Ayodhya on the airline face a layover at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, resulting in a total flight time of seven hours and 25 minutes. “Usually, when an airline discontinues a route, it indicates poor ticket sales. Initially, there was significant enthusiasm for visiting Ayodhya, but it gradually declined,” said an airline representative, as per The Hindu report.
Earlier, on March 31, Telangana BJP Chief G Kishan Reddy, who was then the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, posted a letter on X (formerly Twitter) that he had written to the Minister for Civil Aviation, requesting a direct connection between Hyderabad and Ayodhya. In the letter dated February 26, he stated, “The immense religious significance for countless devotees has led to the demand for efficient and direct transportation to Ram Janmabhoomi. Currently, the lack of direct flight service between Hyderabad and Ayodhya poses a significant challenge for devotees who wish to travel conveniently.”
