5 year-old girl flags off Imphal-Shillong first ever flight
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, August 04 2021:
The aerial connectivity between the capital cities of Manipur and Meghalaya commenced yesterday as the first direct flight Indigo 6E-7959 between Imphal and Shillong took off from Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, Imphal at 9.55 am after a little passenger girl from Churachandpur district cut the launching ribbon in a simple momentous occasion.
The long-awaited demand of the people of the North East region was accomplished under the Government's regional connectivity scheme RCS-UDAN.
A five-year-old girl, Vahchoihoi Haokip from L Khengjang village, Leimata in Churachandpur district was with her parents to board the first-ever Imphal-Shillong flight when she was chosen for the historic ribbon cutting to mark the launching of Imphal-Shillong flight service by Indigo Airlines.
A Class I student of Loreto Convent, Shillong, Vahchoihoi Haokip also known as Eliana Haokip cut the ribbon in the presence of Indigo Airlines authorities and her parents amid cheers and claps from other passengers before boarding the flight.
It is not known as to why the little angel was chosen for the momentous ribbon cutting but it will remain a historic moment for her and India's low-cost airline, Indigo, the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size.
One of the leading global carriers known for offering top-notch services at economical prices, Indigo Airlines was awarded the Imphal-Shillong route during the UDAN 4 bidding process.
The lucky little angel, Eliana Haokip and her father Hengam Haokip, former leader of KSO-GHQ, and her mother Jessy Kikim Haokip, Nursing Officer at NEIGRIHMS with other passengers flew from Bir Tikendrajit International Airport Imphal at 9.55 am and landed at Barapani Airport at 10.55 am safe and sound.
Indigo had suspended its flight operations in Shillong for a few months possibly owing to the COVID-19 situation in the region after operating its flights from Shillong to Kolkata, Silchar, and Agartala before operating its first flight from Imphal yesterday.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday said that IndiGo has started operating flights on the Imphal-Shillong route under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN, and added it will be operating four flights in a week and will deploy its 78-seater ATR-72 aircraft.
Currently, the Airlines flies on 66 UDAN routes and Shillong is the second city to be connected with Imphal under the UDAN scheme.
It also said that owing to the non-availability of any direct mode of transportation, travellers were compelled to cover a long 12-hour journey by road to reach Shillong from Imphal or they had to take a flight to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, then bus service to reach Shillong.
Earlier, before the aerial connectivity service, the completion of the entire journey took more than one day to reach Shillong from Imphal or vice-versa.
But now, travellers can easily fly between the two cities by opting for a flight of just 60 minutes from Imphal to Shillong and 75 minutes from Shillong to Imphal.
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