Guwahati, 17th July: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has appealed to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to increase flight connectivity to and from Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar. In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Khandu highlighted the issues of current flight operations to Kolkata and New Delhi, which are frequently at full capacity, leading to high travel fares and ticket unavailability.
Khandu also pointed out the poor connectivity options from Kolkata and New Delhi to other major cities, resulting in long layovers for passengers. He lamented the discontinuation of flight services between Itanagar and Guwahati since November 2023 and urged for the reinstatement of these services under the UDAN scheme.
In his appeal, Khandu requested increased flight services from Itanagar to New Delhi and Kolkata, daily operations, direct flights to other major metros, and better connectivity options from New Delhi and Kolkata.
Additionally, Khandu wrote to Rahul Bhatia of IndiGo, seeking more flights to Delhi and direct flights to other major metros. He expressed gratitude for IndiGo’s current services and assured support from the State’s Department of Civil Aviation for enhancing flight services.
In a positive development, IndiGo has announced the commencement of daily flights between Itanagar and Kolkata starting July 31.
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