IndiGo starts operating daily direct flights on the Agartala-Aizawl-Guwahati route in NE under UDAN. The objective of the scheme was “Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik”.
Agartala/Aizawl, February 29, 2020 (IANS) Under UDAN scheme, budget airline IndiGo on Saturday launched daily direct flights on the Agartala-Aizawl-Guwahati route, facilitating passengers to travel among the northeastern states.
New daily flight under UDAN
Under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, Air India, IndiGo, Air Asia, GoAir and other airliners are operating their flights among the northeastern states and other major cities in India.
In Aizawl, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga flagged-off the 78-seater Agartala bound IndiGo flight. Airlines sources said that the IndiGo would introduce airbus-320 on the Aizawl-Delhi route in the near future. Currently, Air India and Go Air are operating their flights from Aizawl’s Lengpui airport connecting Kolkata and Guwahati.
In Agartala, Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Pranajit Singh Roy in presence of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) Regional Executive Director (NER) Sanjeev Jindal and other dignitaries flagged-off the IndiGo flight.
Singh Roy (Repeat Singh Roy) said that with this new flight, from now onwards daily 19 flights of various airlines including Air India would be operated from the Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram airport connecting Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Aizawl and other cities in India.
Jindal said that there is a plan to operate flights from the Agartala-Shillong route. He said that air connectivities are being upgraded under the UDAN scheme, announced by the government earlier.
“UDAN is under the regional connectivity scheme that aims at regional airport development with the objective of ‘let the common citizens of the country fly’ by making air travel affordable and widespread, to boost inclusive national economic development,” the AAI Regional Executive Director (NER) said.
He said that under the AAI’s corporate social responsibility scheme, various projects were undertaken in different northeastern states to improve the livelihood of the local people especially the tribals.
What is UDAN Scheme
UDAN is an innovative scheme to develop the regional aviation market. It is a market-based mechanism in which airlines bid for seat subsidies. This first-of-its-kind scheme globally will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns. The objective of the scheme was “Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik”. The scheme UDAN envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served airports of the country through revival of existing airstrips and airports.
