Now proceed to Aizawl from Imphal and vice versa via air five times a week
2 other flights connecting cities of Assam, ArP, Meghalaya launched
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, October 30 2022: Chief Minister N Biren Singh today launched the Alliance Air Flight of Imphal-Aizawl-Imphal through video conferencing at the Conference Hall of Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, Imphal.

The Imphal-Aizwal-Imphal flight will operate five times a week.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia; Minister of State (MoCA) Gen VK Singh (Retd.); Minister of Law & Justice Kiren Rijiju and Chief Ministers of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh attended the launching programme virtually.

Two other flights connecting cities of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Megha-laya were also launched by Scindia and will take the Liliabari-Ziro-Lilabari and Shillong-Lilabari-Shillong routes.

Now proceed to Aizawl from Imphal and vice versa via air five times a week

Speaking to the media outside the airport premises, the Chief Minister said that the new flight service between Imphal and Aizawl was launched to fulfil the aspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'connecting India' and 'connecting North East' .

While recalling that the Imphal-Teju flight service was inaugurated recently, he asserted that all the eight North East States will be connected soon via flight services.

He said that the launching of a new flight service today was another milestone in terms of air connectivity, adding that there has been tremendous improvement in the air connectivity of North East States under the UDAN scheme.

Biren continued that the region has become the "new growth engine for India" with many developments and changes taking place.

Meanwhile, in his Facebook page the Chief Minister wrote that the days of marginalization, backwardness and underdevelopment in North East States had gone with the same region becoming a high priority area for development, progress and integration.

He also said that Rs 5,500 crore had been allocated for upgradation of airports in North East India.

Appreciating the initiative taken up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, N Biren Singh said that the promise made by the Prime Minister to the people of the North East has come to realization not only in connectivity but also in various sectors.

N Biren Singh said that the long-awaited dream of the people of Manipur and Mizoram has been achieved today as providing flight services between Imphal and Aizawl five times a week will tremendously improve not only connectivity but also increase the attachment between the communities of the two States.

Apprising the problems being faced by the people due to the sudden drop of direct flight services of Indigo on Saturday and Sunday on the Imphal-Delhi-Imphal route, the Chief Minister requested the Civil Aviation Minister to take up necessary steps to resume the aerial connectivity.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Dr RK Ranjan Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Leisemba Sanajoaba and Transport Minister Khasim Vashum also attended the programme.

In the last eight years, seven airports have been developed in the region.

Under the UDAN scheme, 14% of routes have been awarded to the North East region.

Under UDAN 4.2, about 18% of routes have been awarded to the northeast.

A Rs 500 crore corpus has been dedicated to the air connectivity of the North East.

Under Krishi UDAN, 25 airports have been incentivised in the region.

Addressing the video conference Scindia announced that under International UDAN, two new routes Agartala-Chittagong-Agartala and Imphal-Mandalay-Imphal will be operationalised which will expand the scope of air connectivity in the North Eastern States from National to the international level.