IMPHAL, Nov 24: Moreh in Manipur,
Rupsi in Assam, and Tura in
Meghalaya were going to get air
services, Union Minister of State for
Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha has announced.
These were among the 19
“new airports or underserved airports”,
he informed.
To provide a major boost to air connectivity
in the North East, 92 new
routes will be opened in the region
in the second round of the government’s
‘Udaan’ scheme, the Union
Minister said.
Sinha also announced a direct biweekly
Air India flight from Delhi to
Imphal from January next year, which
he said would be made a daily service
when the demand picks up.
No-frills private airlines Indigo will
soon start services from Guwahati
to Silchar and Aizwal, he said here
on Wednesday.
He also announced that Spicejet
will be procuring seaplanes that could
seat 9-10 passengers and land on
smaller airstrips. “The carrier is
buying a large number of these seaplanes
and is looking to operate in
NE, connecting smaller airstrips.
These planes will accommodate
about 9-10 people. This will also improve
connectivity in the North
East,” Sinha said.
He was speaking at the inaugural
session of the ‘North East Development
Summit’, a two-day event organised
by India Foundation and Government
of Manipur.
Sinha also informed that the construction
of Pakyong airport in Sikkim
was complete and it will make
reaching the northern part of the
State, especially tourist attractions
such as Nathu La Pass, easier.
The second round of bidding for
Udaan scheme was in its final stages,
he said. “With this bidding round, we
have 92 new routes that are going to
be started in the NE,” Sinha said.
Udaan is a regional connectivity
scheme under which the government
plans to provide connectivity to remote
areas and enhance access in
under-served regions.
The scheme
has enabled the government to add
30 new airports on the aviation map
in tier-2 and tier-3 cities under the
first round.
The second round of bidding commenced
in August. The Civil Aviation
Ministry has received as many as 141
initial proposals for operating flight and
helicopter services on 502 routes,
connecting 126 airports and helipads.
“Nineteen new airports and seven
heliports are going to be added to
the aviation network ... Through
Udaan round 2. The bidding processes
are underway,” he said. – PTI
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