GUWAHATI: In a major boost to air connectivity in the region, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off Spicejet daily direct flight from Dibrugarh to Guwahati at Mohanbari Airport in Dibrugarh district on Tuesday. Flying on Dibrugarh-Guwahati-Silchar route, which is Spicejet’s 50th destination is expected to facilitate increased trade and commerce in the region.
The new daily flight between Dibrugarh and Guwahati will be boon for people in Southern districts of Arunachal Pradesh too.
Appreciating Spicejet for giving a new impetus to air connectivity within the state, Sonowal said that Barak valley will now have a flight from Dibrugarh. He also expressed hope that the new Spicejet flight would be able to fill the void created by the suspension of operation by Jet Airways from Dibrugarh to Guwahati three months back. He further stated that state government would set up Heliports at Umrangsu, Mankachar, Majuli among other places for better connectivity.
Underscoring the special focus given to improvement of surface and water communication in the state along with air connectivity, Sonowal mentioned that already central government has declared Brahmaputra as National Waterway-II. He also informed that an amount of Rs 400 crore had been allocated for dredging the river to make it more navigable and this will add a new chapter in the navigation history of the state, he added.
Sonowal further mentioned that with a view to facilitate expeditious implementation of Act East Policy, all avenues of connectivity have been explored to take the region closer to the South East Asian nations. This would give a renewed momentum to trade, commerce and tourism in the coming days, he observed.