The Pune–Varanasi flight route has resumed after a 112-day suspension, restoring a direct air travel option between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh for students, professionals, business travellers and tourists. SpiceJet restarted the service on Sunday, adding an alternative to IndiGo’s existing direct flights between the two cities.
The first resumed service recorded passenger movement in both directions. SpiceJet flight SG-525 arrived at Varanasi airport from Pune at 3.44 pm with 165 passengers on board. The aircraft then operated as flight SG-526 and departed for Pune at 4.20 pm, carrying 85 passengers.
The restored connection is expected to provide another travel option for people moving between the two cities for education, work, commercial activity and tourism. Direct flights can reduce the need for connecting journeys, although the report does not provide details on the service’s frequency, fare structure or the duration for which the resumed operations are scheduled to continue.
SpiceJet had suspended all its regular operations from Varanasi airport on June 25. At the time, rising operational expenses and higher aviation turbine fuel prices were cited as the main reasons for the decision. The Pune service has now returned after nearly four months, but the earlier suspension highlights how airline operating costs can influence route availability and the continuity of air links between cities.
For Pune and Varanasi, the route serves more than leisure demand. The two cities are connected through educational, professional, commercial and tourism-related travel, making the availability of direct services relevant to a broad group of passengers. The first-day passenger numbers show demand in both directions, with the inbound flight carrying 165 passengers to Varanasi and the outbound service taking 85 passengers to Pune.
The resumption also gives passengers an additional choice alongside IndiGo’s direct flights. Travellers will now have another airline option when planning journeys between the two urban centres, subject to the continued operation of the service and the airline’s future scheduling decisions.
