Imphal, November 24: Frequent travellers to foreign soils need no longer go to Guwahati or Kolkata to book their flight tickets now, thanks to the efforts of the management of Haokip Travels, which has been conferred the prestigious the International Air Transport Association (IATA) accreditation.

The first agency in the State to be affiliated to the IATA, Haokip Travels, today organised a fitting function to mark their coming of age in the aviation business at the conference hall of Hotel Nirmala.

Power Minister Gaikhansam attended the function as the chief guest while Speaker TN Haokip, FCS Minister Ngamthang Haokip, Arch Bishop of Manipur Rev Joseph Mittathany, Area Manager, Eastern Region of Jet Airways, Mrs Jyoti Sinha and Area Manager, Eastern region of IATA, Rana Choudhury were seated at the dais.

Delivering the welcome address, former Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly TT Haokip, who runs Haokip Travels, said that the agency has come a long way since it was established in 1990.In 1991 it received the agency nod from Indian Airlines, he said and added that since then it has been one of hard work to bring Haokip Travels to its present status.

"It took us two years to get the accreditation from IATA," he told the gathering amid applause.

Though the function was held today, booking for over seas flight started some time back, said TT Haokip and named the first passenger to book her ticket to Singapore through Haokip Travels.

Power Minister Gaikhangam in his address as the chief guest congratulated the staff and management of the travel agency for the landmark achievement and added that as the world has become a global village, Manipur too should not remain isolated.

The IATA accreditation that Haokip Travels has received will go a long way in taking Manipur to the outside world, he observed.

It is also good for the public that such a facility is now available in Imphal.

Speaker TN Haokip said that the occasion is significant as the Government of India has now embarked on a Look East policy and informed that a proposal has been forwarded to the Government to allow the 60 MLAs of the State Assembly to tour the South East Asian region at least once in a term.

"Why shouldn't Manipur have an international airport?" he asked and then added that boosting tourism can help the State's economy and the opening of such a facility in Imphal will go a long way in ensuring the smooth flow of tourists into Manipur.

IATA was founded in 1955 at Havana in Cuba, informed Rana Choudhury and added that today there are 107 airlines affiliated to IATA.

Social worker Amrik Singh Pahwa, who runs the Goodwill Travels, congratulated Haokip Travels on its achievements.

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