SpiceJet decides to temporarily suspend services to Puducherry airport due to operational difficulties

SpiceJet, the sole airline operating from Puducherry Airport, has decided to temporarily halt operations owing to "operational difficulties," adding to Puducherry's poor performance on the national aviation map. The private operator ceased offering trips from Puducherry to Hyderabad and Bengaluru a few days ago.  The area has been intermittently visible on the aviation map for some time. With a direct route between Puducherry and Bengaluru, SpiceJet initially began operating from Puducherry in 2013. A year or so later, the airline discontinued operations due to viability problems. 

In April 2015, Alliance Air, an additional operator and one of Air India's low-cost carriers, appeared on the aviation map of Puducherry. The airline ceased operations six months later as a result of a subsidy dispute with the Puducherry government. V. Saminathan, the head of the BJP in Puducherry, addressed a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday asking for his help in restarting airline operations out of Puducherry. The tourism industry, he claimed, will be impacted by the cancellation of flights on both routes.