The first direct
flight operations between Imphal (Manipur) & Shillong (Meghalaya) was
flagged off yesterday under the RCS-UDAN (Regional Connectivity Scheme — Ude
Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of the Government of India. The operationalization of this
route fulfills the objectives of the Government of India to establish strong
aerial connectivity in priority areas of NorthEast India says a release.
The officials of
the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) were
present during the launch of the flight operations.
The aerial
connectivity between the capital cities of Manipur & Meghalaya has been a
long-awaited demand of the people of the region. The beautiful city of Shillong
is surrounded by hills from all sides. Famous for the presence of many
well-reputed educational institutions, Shillong is the hub of education for the
entire North-East India. Apart from being the beauty & education centre,
Shillong also acts as the gateway to Meghalaya, the state famous for heavy
rainfall, caves, tallest waterfalls, beautiful landscapes, and its rich
heritage & culture. Shillong is famous for Elephant falls, Shillong Peak,
Umiam lake, Sohpetbneng Peak, Don Bosco Museum, Laitlum Canyons. Moreover,
Shillong is the only capital city in NorthEast India to produce two football
clubs that participate in the I-League, namely, Royal Wahingdoh FC and Shillong
Lajong FC. In addition to these, Shillong Golf Course is one of the oldest golf
courses in the country.
Without direct mode of transport people had to travel by road a 12
hour journey to reach Shillong from Imphal
Due to the
non-availability of any direct mode of transportation, people were compelled to
cover a long 12-hour journey by road to reach Shillong from Imphal or they had
to take a flight to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati,
then bus service to reach Shillong. The completion of the entire journey took
more than 1 day to reach Shillong from Imphal or vice-versa. Now, natives can
easily fly between the two cities by opting for a flight of just 60 mins from
Imphal to Shillong and 75 mins from Shillong to Imphal.
Shillong is the second city to be connected with Imphal under the UDAN
scheme.
The airline M/s
Indigo was awarded the Imphal-Shillong route during the UDAN 4 bidding process.
The airlines are being provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the UDAN
scheme to keep the fares affordable & accessible for the common people. The
airline will be operating four flights in a week and will deploy its 78-seater
ATR 72 aircraft. Currently, 66 UDAN routes are operational by M/S Indigo
airlines.
Till date, 361
routes and 59 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) have been
operationalized under the UDAN scheme. The scheme is envisaged to establish
strong aerial connectivity in all States and UTs of the country which hitherto
were not connected, laying the foundation of a new regional segment in India’s
aviation market. |