Air India's recent announcement of suspending its sole Pune-Mumbai flight has sparked widespread criticism on social media.
"Air India stops operating the only flight from Pune to Mumbai. Just when you think Pune can't disappoint you anymore. Petition to declare Pune a gram panchayat and be done with it," wrote a user on X (formerly Twitter).
"The flight was very convenient. The Pune-Mumbai Expressway is so unpredictable and unsafe. Trains are an option, but if I'm willing to pay ₹4,000, nothing beats the flight. Every time I took that flight, there was decent occupancy. I think there's politics behind this decision," he added.
Commenting on this post, several users expressed their disappointment. "Extremely inconvenient that @airindia stopped the only Pune-Mumbai flight without explanation. I've been trying to ask them but received no response. Hoping it’s a temporary issue due to rain or something similar. It would be great to have it back," said one user.
"It (Pune) is a gram panchayat; official notification of the same is overdue," joked another user.
"Pune is a classic example of reverse development. All it has done over the years is develop ugly buildings, destroy roads, and erode its culture," wrote a third user.
Check out the reactions below:
Pune Airport Director Sanjay Dhoke stated that the discontinuation of the service was due to Air India’s “commercial considerations.”
The flight service, launched in March last year to connect the two cities in just 55 minutes, failed to attract significant passenger interest due to its inconvenient mid-day schedule, which did not align with most passengers' travel plans.
