GUWAHATI, August 19: A flight service connecting Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh with Guwahati and operated by Flybig under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN – was launched at Tezu airport in Lohit district on Thursday.
The ATR 72 aircraft will operate on the Guwahati-Tezu route four days a week – on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu flagged off the first scheduled flight of Flybig from Tezu to Guwahati on Thursday.
Reportedly, at least 30 passengers took the inaugural flight from Tezu to Guwahati.
This is the second flight service started by the airline from the state. The first service started between Pasighat and Guwahati on May 24 this year.
Flybig, which is currently operating ATR 72 aircraft with a seating capacity of 72 persons, has got the approval to commence flights between Guwahati-Pasighat, Pasighat-Shillong, Guwahati-Tezu, and Tezu-Imphal under UDAN scheme of the central government.
Attending the inaugural ceremony virtually from Itanagar, Khandu said the launch of the service was another feather in the cap of the aviation sector in the region.
“Operationalisation of the Tezu airport will boost connectivity of Eastern Arunachal and facilitate easy and fast accessibility to economic activities, business and health services,” Khandu said.
As Arunachal Pradesh shares international borders with three countries – Bhutan, Tibet-China and Myanmar, Khandu said the flight service from Tezu was significant.
On the occasion, the chief minister announced that all army and paramilitary personnel availing the Flybig flights from Tezu and Pasighat would have to pay only Rs 75 (one way) as fare till December 31, 2021. The gesture from the airline company is in commemoration of India’s 75 years of Independence.
Thanking Flybig founder and managing director Sanjay Mandvia, who was also present on the occasion, for the noble gesture, Khandu requested him to explore possibilities of extending similar services to rest of the advanced landing grounds (ALGs) operational in the state.
Khandu informed that in a recent meeting in Delhi, Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia assured to set up three more airports in Arunachal Pradesh – one at Dirang in West Kameng, second at Anini in Dibang Valley and a third in Upper Subansiri district.
He said the process of land acquisition is under process and once done, they will be handed over to the ministry free of cost.
“Once the Hollongi airport is complete and with others coming up in the future, the very face of Arunachal Pradesh will change,” he said.