Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia flags off first direct flight on Shillong–Dibrugarh route
In a bid to strengthen connectivity in the Northeast, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia virtually flagged off the first direct flight on the Shillong – Dibrugarh route under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – UdeDeshKaAamNaagrik (RCS-UDAN) - of the Government of India, on October 26.
MoS, Civil Aviation, General Dr V K Singh (Retd.) along with Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Member of Parliament, Vincent Pala, among others also graced the launch.
Addressing the event, Scindia lauded the tourism sector in the state and said, “Shillong is one of the highest and wettest places in the world. The place is important not only for the country but for the entire world. Meghalaya’s capital Shillong has always been known as ‘Scotland of East’ due to the presence of rolling hills, caves, tallest waterfalls, beautiful landscapes and its rich heritage and culture. There’s nothing that Meghalaya does not have to offer. The place attracts tourists from all over the world.”
The minister further emphasized that “In 2014, only 6 airports were operational in the Northeast which has now risen to 15 in 2021.
"Within a short span of seven years, we have achieved this ambitious target. I assure you that this is just the beginning; we are further committed to enhancing the interstate and intrastate connectivity of Northeast. Apart from promoting flight connectivity, our focus is on developing infrastructure capabilities along with helicopter services. We want to bring travellers from all over the country to the Northeast."
Notably, Indigo was awarded the Shillong - Dibrugarh route during the UDAN 4 bidding process. The airline will deploy its 78-seater ATR 72 aircraft. Till date, 389 routes and 62 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme.
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