In a significant development that brings long-awaited relief to regional travelers and the industrial fraternity, air connectivity between Belagavi (IXG) and Gujarat’s commercial powerhouse Ahmedabad (AMD) is set to resume from November 1.
The new service will be operated by IndiGo via the newly operational Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI), featuring a seamless, same-aircraft transfer with a 30-minute layover.
The resumption comes after months of severe inconvenience faced by flyers following the exit of regional carrier Star Air, which had previously operated daily direct flights on the Belagavi–Ahmedabad sector before winding up its entire operations at Sambra Airport.
Filling the Void Left by Star Air
For years, Star Air served as a primary regional connector out of Belagavi, with the Ahmedabad and Mumbai sectors registering steady traffic from local industrialists, traders, and students. However, the airline’s phased withdrawal and ultimate suspension of all services left a massive connectivity vacuum.
Passengers bound for Gujarat were forced into exhausting 18-to-20-hour train journeys, long highway commutes, or expensive, time-consuming layovers via Bengaluru and Hyderabad. IndiGo stepping into the corridor restores this vital air bridge, offering a travel time of just over three hours.
Flight Schedule & Operations
The new service will operate four days a week — on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays — deployed on IndiGo’s ATR-72 aircraft:
1. Ahmedabad to Belagavi
- Flight: IndiGo
- Departure (AMD): 08:45 AM
- Transit (NMI): 30-minute passenger/technical stop at Navi Mumbai
- Arrival (IXG): 12:30 PM
- Total Flight Duration: 3 hours 45 minutes
2. Belagavi to Ahmedabad
- Flight Number: 6E 7017
- Aircraft: ATR
- Departure (IXG): 17:30 (05:30 PM)
- Transit (NMI): 30-minute stop at Navi Mumbai
- Arrival (AMD): 20:40 (08:40 PM)
- Total Flight Duration: 3 hours 10 minutes
Key Advantages for Passengers
- Same-Aircraft Journey: Travelers will not have to deboard or change planes during the 30-minute halt at Navi Mumbai, ensuring a smooth, single-ticket transit.
- Dual Destination Advantage: Beyond linking Ahmedabad, the schedule gives Belagavi travelers an evening flight option touching the Mumbai Metropolitan Region via the Navi Mumbai hub.
- Trade & Industrial Revival: Belagavi’s foundry, engineering, textile, and manufacturing units maintain deep supplier and buyer networks across Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara, making this revived link critical for business travel.
With bookings slated to open ahead of November 1, local trade bodies and passenger forums have welcomed the move, viewing it as the first major step toward rebuilding Sambra Airport’s broader domestic footprint.
