Imphal, (UNI) Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday launched additional flight service of Alliance Air on three routes connecting this state capital to Kolkata and two other cities of northeastern India – Dimapur and Guwahati..
The routes are Imphal- Guwahati- Imphal, Imphal-Kolkata-Imphal and Imphal-Dimapur-Imphal, and the services were launched under Viability Gap Funding.
The launch function was held at the conference hall of Imphal International Airport, in the presence of Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu through video conferencing.N. Biren Singh expressed happiness over Alliance Air providing additional flights to and from Manipur.The Chief Minister said Manipur has been passing through a difficult time and the people were unable to use the highways for travel because of the crisis. Lakhs of people of the state are travelling by air and the high cost of air tickets has significantly affected the common people.The Chief Minister urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to constitute a team to examine the pricing of air tickets.The Chief Minister also requested the provision of more frequent flights directly connecting Imphal with major cities such as Kolkata, New Delhi, and Bangalore. N. Biren Singh further appreciated the CEO of Alliance Air for taking up such initiative during this difficult period.Rammohan Naidu said the inauguration of the new flights will bring the state closer to the rest of the country. The new routes would enhance trade, travel and tourism in the state and also provide employment, boost the economy and empower the people, he added.Addressing the function, Transport Minister Khashim Vashum stated that introducing new routes will improve connectivity between people. This initiative will create new opportunities for travellers visiting the State and boost its economic activities, he added.Air tickets will be offered at a subsidised rate twice a week on the new flight routes.