Magadh business leaders oppose plan to discontinue Gaya-Delhi flight

Gaya: Agitated over the proposed discontinuation of Air India’s daily Delhi-Gaya-Delhi flight, business leaders from the Magadh division have sent a petition to Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu seeking his intervention.

In Oct 2025, at the behest of Union micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Air India introduced a daily flight on the Gaya-Delhi route. Barely six months later, the service is proposed to be discontinued from March 29.

The petition, jointly signed by Kaushalendra Pratap, patron of the Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce, its president Bipendra Agrawal and Magadh Industries Association president Anup Kedia, said the airline’s decision to discontinue the flight from March 29 was both shocking and surprising. It added that the move was difficult to understand as the airline was doing good business and the occupancy rate was encouraging.

“The withdrawal of Air India from the Gaya-Delhi route leaves IndiGo with monopoly rights and, in the absence of alternatives, air travellers of the region will be left at the mercy of IndiGo, which will be contrary to the affordable air travel policy of the govt of India,” the petition said.

Copies of the protest petition have also been forwarded to Union MSME minister Manjhi and assembly Speaker Prem Kumar, the Gaya MP and town MLA respectively. Business leaders said that Air India has stopped passenger bookings for flight numbers AI 1731 and AI 1815.

Danish Rizwan, adviser to the Union MSME minister, said the minister had taken due cognizance of the issue. “The airlines will restore its operation on the Gaya-Delhi route as early as possible,” he said, without giving a timeline.

Rizwan attributed the discontinuation to a “technical hitch” and said the issue would be resolved soon. He also said Manjhi was urging Air India Express to operate on the route and the airline’s response had been positive.