The Minister of civil aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia will inaugurate the first flight from Dibrugarh to Pasighat on Tuesday under the scheme “Providing air connectivity and aviation infrastructure in North Eastern Region (NER)”, according to a press release from the civil aviation ministry.
The move comes in a bid to boost air connectivity of the Northeastern Region with the rest of the country. Scindia will also inaugurate the First Flying Training Organisation for NER at Lilabari, reported ANI.
The release read, “As a part of this scheme, two important developments will take place on 12th April 2022 -First flight of Made in India HAL Dornier Do-228 from Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. Alliance Air will be India's first commercial airline to fly Indian made aircraft for civil operations. There will also be the inauguration of First FTO (Flying Training Organization) for North Eastern Region at Lilabari, Assam.”
New airports were under development and old ones were getting upgraded to enhance connectivity, the ministry said. In view of the hilly terrain in the region, helicopter operations under the UDAN scheme have been given the focus.
The release further said, “The development of the North Eastern Region (NER) is not only of strategic importance but is also part of India's growth story. Connectivity in NER is very essential and Under "Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN)", the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has identified NER as a priority area. This has helped in enhancing inter and intra connectivity for the NER.”
Notably, the 17-seater non-pressurised Dornier 228 with an AC cabin capable of day and night operations will facilitate regional connectivity in northeastern states. On April 7, these two light transport aircrafts were handed over to Alliance Air.
Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu will be present at the inauguration ceremony along with the Union minister.
Apart from them, the Secretary of the Ministry of civil aviation, Rajiv Bansal, Usha Padhee and Amber Dubey, Joint Secretaries from the ministry and other dignities from the state governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and Alliance Air will also be present.
