Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will inaugurate Madhya Pradesh’s maiden international air service on Wednesday from Indore, a significant step in the state’s aviation development. The inaugural flight, part of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Aviation Policy-2025, will link Indore directly to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Operated by Air India Express, a Tata Group company, this service will run four days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
This direct flight is set to greatly benefit the people of the Malwa-Nimar region, eliminating the need for connecting flights through Delhi or Mumbai that currently take 7 to 8 hours. The new route will slash travel time to just about 3 hours and 15 minutes, fostering trade, investment, tourism, and industrial ties between Madhya Pradesh and the UAE. Additionally, it will enhance people-to-people links, particularly for the significant NRI community from the area.
As part of the Civil Aviation Policy-2025, the state government has greenlit eight new air routes, with services already operational on four routes and the rest soon to follow. The policy, aimed at bolstering the state’s aviation sector, provides Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of up to ₹10 lakh for new domestic air routes and up to ₹15 lakh for international routes. Moreover, it sets a minimal VAT rate of 1% on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) for aircraft parked overnight at state airports.
To further support the aviation industry, the policy offers capital subsidies of up to 40% for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) projects, as well as for air cargo initiatives. It also incentivizes skill development by providing a 40% capital subsidy for flying training organizations (FTOs) installing simulators and financial aid covering 60% of fees, up to ₹1 lakh, for non-simulator training courses.
