GUWAHATI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has laid special focus on the UDAN routes of the Northeast with cargo flights delivering about 90 tonnes of air cargo across various stations during the lockdown so far.
“About three tonnes of cargo have been airlifted from the ports, mainly Guwahati, Agartala, Imphal, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Jorhat, Tezpur and Dimapur,” Sanjeev Jindal, regional executive director, AAI (Northeast region), informed the media on Monday.
The lifeline UDAN portal was floated by the government where cargo flights and routes were sketched to cater to the domestic export of essential and emergency goods, especially medical goods, to the farthest places in the country.
“Some cargo hubs were created and ports identified for ferrying these goods. North East region has been given special focus in the life line UDAN routes and cargo flights constituting dedicated freighters and helicopters to carry medical goods for the region,” Jindal said.
‘Ready for normal
operations’
In regard to the resumption of commercial flight services, Jindal said, “The final decision will be taken by the Centre and the ministry of civil aviation, but our airports in the North East Region are ready to cater all the services as per normal practice with all the precautions in place.”
With imposition of lockdown in the country, commercial flight operations ceased from the midnight of March 24, 2020 but airports were kept open with minimum staff to cater to emergency and essential services.
“All 12 airports in North East Region were opened for the same, however according to the demand of the airlines and the directives of the ministry, the watch hours at the airports were extended,” he said.
