Guwahati: A storm of protest has erupted as Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Sushmita Dev, directly challenged TATA Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran over Air India’s abrupt decision to cease all flight operations to and from Silchar Airport, effective June 1, 2025. In a strongly worded letter, Dev articulated the profound distress and potential repercussions this move would inflict upon the residents of Assam’s Barak Valley.
Dev’s correspondence meticulously detailed the historical significance of Air India’s nearly seven-decade presence in the region, stressing its role as a critical artery for connectivity. She underscored the severe hardship the suspension would impose on the more than 4 million inhabitants of Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts, particularly those requiring urgent medical attention and business professionals reliant on swift travel. The MP painted a stark picture of the region’s vulnerability during the monsoon season, when road and rail networks frequently succumb to flooding, leaving air travel as the sole viable link to the outside world.
Further escalating her critique, Dev argued that Air India’s withdrawal directly clashes with the central government’s ambitious plans for a new Greenfield Airport in Cachar. She also pointed to the decision’s inconsistency with the objectives of the UDAN scheme, a government initiative aimed at enhancing regional air connectivity. Dev implored TATA Sons to urgently reassess their decision, emphasizing the imperative to safeguard the accessibility and economic prosperity of the Barak Valley.
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