With an eye on the Gulf market, Jet Airways has decided to pull the plug on flights to and from Bhubaneswar even as the airline looks to grapple with heavy losses.
According to officials, the airline is gearing up to mount a large number of international flights to Abu Dhabi as part of the company’s deal with Etihad Airways, which is in the process of acquiring a 24 per cent stake in Jet Airways.
Flights from sectors such as Bhubaneswar are, therefore, being pulled out in order to create capacity in the India-Abu Dhabi sectors.
The Bhubaneswar route has also been closed as part of the airline’s strategy to close loss-making routes as a method of tiding over the current financial crisis. The Jet Airways group had reported its highest-ever quarterly loss in the July-September quarter.
While employees posted at Bhubaneswar are being transferred to other locations, the airline has also started the process of moving equipment to other stations, according to company officials who did not wish to be identified.
As per its agreement with Etihad Airways, Jet will need to link 24 key cities from India to Abu Dhabi, which is competing with Dubai to emerge as a major hub in the region. A company official said the Bhubaneswar station was shut down as it offered little significance for the Gulf market.
Jet Airways did not respond to an e-mail, requesting comments.
