Vadodara: Vadodara on Friday got a new regional air link with the launch of an air-taxi service connecting the city with Mundra in Kutch, offering a faster route to one of Gujarat’s key industrial, port and logistics hubs.Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi announced the development, hailing the new facility for travellers between the two cities.“On this auspicious day, sharing the good news —air taxi started operations from Vadodara to Mundra (Kutch)”, Joshi said.The air-taxi operator listed August 28 as the commencement date for the new Vadodara-Mundra-Vadodara route.According to the schedule shared for Vadodara airport, four departures to Mundra are slotted at 6.30am, 6.55am, 7.20am and 7.45am. The first three services will operate through the week, while the fourth is scheduled for Sundays. Multiple return services from Mundra to Vadodara have also been scheduled on different days of the week.The launch follows several months of efforts to strengthen Vadodara’s regional air connectivity. In April, reports indicated that Vadodara airport was being prepared for air-taxi-style services to destinations such as Bhuj, Diu and Porbandar, with smaller aircraft proposed for the routes under the regional connectivity framework.Officials had said the services were intended to cut down travel time that can run into several hours by road.The Vadodara-Mundra service also expands the operator’s growing network in Gujarat. Its existing regional network now includes Vadodara-Mundra, Mundra-Jamnagar, Mundra-Diu and Mundra-Rajkot, signalling a broader push towards short-haul air connectivity across the state.The new direct connection is expected to be particularly useful for business and industrial travellers. Mundra is a major port and logistics centre, while Vadodara is an important industrial hub, making the new air link potentially significant for business travel between the two regions.
