To operate flights between Guwahati-Dibrugarh-Guwahati and Guwahati – Silchar – Guwahati routes daily
IndiGlobal Bureau
In what can be termed as a major boost to air connectivity, the Assam Government inked an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with Big Charter Private Limited (Flybig) in presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a function held at the State Secretariat on March 25. The chief minister also said that it was one of the budget proposals of the state government, as he felt happy to have fulfilled the proposal. Under the MoU, the flight operations will be started in line with the UDAN scheme of the Central government, as the state government will be operating the flights under viability gap funding.
The MoU was signed between Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) managing director Kumar Padmapani Bora on behalf of the state government and Flybig director Sanjay Natavarlal Mandavia to operate flights between Guwahati-Dibrugarh- Guwahati and Guwahati-Silchar-Guwahati routes daily.
Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said that the MoU with the Flybig under which the number of daily flight services will be enhanced will add a new height to intra-state air connectivity. The services will give assured connectivity and assured price as the agreement has decided to keep a tab on the pricing as the maximum price has been fixed at Rs 4,000. The new services will add new momentum to Mohanbari airport in Dibrugarh and Kumbhirgram Airport in Silchar.
The chief minister said that the state government is studying the feasibility to replicate the same services in Jorhat, Tezpur etc. Sarma also thanked Flybig and ATDC for coming forward to facilitate air services in Non-UDAN routes.
Additional chief secretary (tourism) Manindar Singh gave the welcome address in the programme which was attended among others by tourism minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, ATDC vice chairman Dilip Das, principal secretary to the chief minister Samir Kumar Sinha and a host of other dignitaries.