Alliance Air begins flight service in Guwahati-Dimapur-Imphal route under UDAN scheme

Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Paiwang Konyak flagging off Alliance Air’s Guwahati-Dimapur-Imphal flight service at the Dimapur Airport on December 7. (DIPR Photo)

Dimapur, December 7 (MExN): Nagaland Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Paiwang Konyak today flagged off Alliance Air’s maiden flight from Dimapur Airport.

For the first flight from Dimapur to Imphal, 36 passengers boarded the flight from Dimapur while 27 passengers were on board from Guwahati.

Alliance Air, subsidiary of Air India, will directly connect Dimapur with Imphal and Guwahati and vice versa with the 70-seater ATR 72 aircraft.

The operation is under the 'Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik' (UDAN) or Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Government of India. 

According to a DIPR report, Paiwang expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi for his “vision of letting the common citizen of the country fly, aimed at making air travel affordable and for reaching even a far flung place like Nagaland under UDAN.” 

The first flight under UDAN scheme was operated by Alliance Air in the Shimla to Delhi sector on April 27, 2017 and was flagged of by Prime Minister Modi, the report quoted him as saying. 

Further noting that Nagaland had only 2 flight connectivity with other parts of India, he maintained that it was a “lucky day” for the state with the arrival of Alliance Air, it said. 

As of now, the flight operation would be thrice a week. On the request of Minister Paiwang, the Alliance Air CEO assured that it would be upgraded to daily flight services very shortly, the report added. 

Representing the Regional Executive Director, Airport Authority India, General Manager (CNS) Kausal Kumar, AAI also expressed his appreciation to Alliance Air for boosting connectivity to the people of North East. 

Marking the day, the Transport Minister lighted the lamp, handed over the first 3 boarding passes to the passengers and also cut a cake celebrating the big event for Nagaland, in the presence of CEO Alliance Air, Director Dimapur Airport, DC Dimapur, officials from AAI and NST department who attended the launching programme.

Biren Singh inaugurates Imphal route
Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh inaugurated the Imphal-Dimapur direct flight service at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed his happiness on the start Alliance Air’s Imphal-Dimapur flight service, Newmai News Network reported. 

Better connectivity would build deeper connections among the people and such service would further strengthen the friendly relations between the States, the report quoted him as saying. 

He also announced that Alliance Air has promised to operate daily flight service between Imphal and Dimapur in the next 2-3 months.