State-owned carrier Air India's recent action of cancelling two of its Odisha-bound flights has attracted criticism from various business bodies.

Tourism industry representatives have said that Air India cancelled the flights just as the peak tourism has started, adding that the move would send wrong message to the aviation sector as well as to the travelers.

J K Mohanty, chairman of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) said that the carrier's move would obstruct not only the prospects of tourism but also of other industries.

Criticizing the carrier's decision, Mohanty added, "We want immediate restoration of the two Air India flights connecting Bhubaneswar with Kolkata and Chennai."

The carrier withdrew its Bhubaneswar-Kolkata-Bhubaneswar flight number 770 and Chennai-Bhubaneswar-Chennai flight number 537 with effect from 5th of November.

Mohanty argued that nearly a dozen conferences, which are slated to take place in the capital city between November this year and January next year, would be instantly hit by the decision.

The HRAO has urged the Union civil aviation minister to reinstate the recently cancelled flights as well as the flights to Bangalore, Varanasi, Hyderabad and Raipur from Odisha, which Air India had stopped previously.