Shankersinh Vaghela, the Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly, has written a letter to Ashok Gajapati Raju, India’s civil aviation minister, on the need to re-start the direct flight between London and Ahmedabad flight. In the letter Vaghela mentioned that about a million people of Gujarati origin are settled in the United Kingdom and a large number of them visit Gujarat frequently.
There are substantial economic relations between the people of UK and Gujarat as well as the adjoining states in Western India.
The people of these states have also their relatives settled in UK. Accordingly, there is a constant and heavy flow of visitors between two countries. Keeping these factors in view, earlier there were direct flights between London and Ahmedabad.
A large number of Indians, particularly Gujaratis, settled in UK as well as people of Gujarat have represented to civil aviation ministry that due to discontinuance of these direct flights sometime back, frequent visitors have been facing acute hardships. Presently they need to travel via Mumbai, Delhi, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha and such circuitous travelling becomes extremely inconvenient for the Senior Citizens, old women and children.
Apart from alleviating the problems of these people, direct flights will obviously provide a fillip to tourism from UK to India. Economic relations particularly bilateral trade will also be boosted. Therefore, people from the various corners are requesting to concerned authority to consider for direct flights between Ahmedabad and London at the earliest possible.
In the above context I would like to request you to recommence Air India direct flight from Ahmedabad-London-Ahmedabad.
