Vadodara: Air taxi services connecting Vadodara with key destinations in Saurashtra and Kutch are expected to begin by October this year, significantly reducing travel time and boosting regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme.

Once operational, passengers will be able to reach Diu in about an hour, Dwarka in nearly two hours, and Kutch in around three hours, compared to the current travel time of 8–10 hours by road. The service will use 8-seater aircraft, with ticket prices expected to remain affordable due to government-backed viability gap funding.

Vadodara Airport Director M.S.I. Dawood said approvals have been granted to operate flights to Bhuj, Diu, and Porbandar, with only a few formalities remaining before launch. The service is expected to benefit industrialists and the business community by improving connectivity between Vadodara and the Saurashtra-Kutch region.

The initiative is likely to boost tourism, trade, and medical travel, while also facilitating faster movement of professionals and goods. Sectors such as seafood, handicrafts, chemicals, and engineering are expected to gain from improved accessibility.

Travel time to Bhuj will be reduced to 50–60 minutes, to Diu to 45–60 minutes, and to Porbandar to about one hour. The improved connectivity is also expected to support tourism at destinations such as the Dwarkadhish Temple, Diu, and the Rann of Kutch, while enhancing access to the Statue of Unity.

Additionally, permission has been sought to set up a UDAN Yatri Café at Vadodara Airport, where subsidised refreshments such as tea and snacks may be offered at nominal rates.

Meanwhile, Vadodara Airport secured second place in the Category-2 airports segment in a nationwide customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The award was presented in New Delhi on March 31. DeshGujarat