An Indian private airliner has launched a direct flight connecting Guwahati with Bangkok, marking a welcome, though overdue, step to strengthen direct air connectivity from the Northeast region to Southeast Asia. The commercial sustainability of the service will hinge on robust passenger traffic in both. Ticket prices being within the reach of tourists and a wider segment of travellers will be an important factor in generating passenger volume on this route. The position of the Ministry of Civil Aviation is that there is little scope for the government to intervene in determining the airfare. The Ministry informed the Lok Sabha that airfares established by the airlines are dynamic in nature and fixed by the airlines, keeping in mind the market, demand, seasonality, prevailing international scenarios and other market forces. As demand for seats rises, the airfare increases because the lower fare buckets sell out quickly and transition to higher fare buckets. The dynamic pricing framework adopted by airlines at times enables passengers to get more affordable fares during peak travel periods or when bookings are made close to the date of departure, depending on prevailing market conditions," Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the parliament, which signalled that airline competition and passenger traffic volume must increase, not government intervention, to keep fares affordable. The Ministry's clarification that in a deregulated aviation market, the government generally refrains from regulating airfares to maintain market competitiveness; however, it remains vigilant and intervenes in exceptional circumstances to maintain pricing discipline in the market and prevent adoption of any opportunistic pricing practice by the airlines keeps open a window for regulatory intervention against excessive or exploitative pricing. Passengers from the region are expected to take a rational approach by considering the costs of flying to Kolkata or Delhi, as well as accommodation expenses for travelling to Bangkok through these metro cities, before making any conclusions about ticket pricing on the Guwahati-Bangkok route and comparing it with ticket prices for the Delhi-Bangkok or Kolkata-Bangkok routes. More direct flights to Bangkok from Guwahati bring an opportunity for the entire region to attract travellers from ASEAN countries to tourism destinations in their respective states. As the Act East Policy places the region at the centre of India's foreign policy, the efforts of the states to promote tourism also receive financial and logistical support from the central government. The Northeastern states' full cooperation in developing attractive tourism circuits covering iconic and important tourism destinations across multiple states will remain crucial to generating consistent demand. Cultural similarities, including food habits rooted in the migration history of indigenous communities in the Northeast, provide a natural advantage to the region in attracting travellers and tourists from the Southeast Asian region to explore the tourism destinations here. As political turmoil in Myanmar has put cross-border road connectivity via the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway under construction into uncertainty, an increase in direct connectivity to Bangkok is expected to boost the volume of tourists from ASEAN countries to the Northeast region. Strengthening air connectivity within the region has increased the scope for developing multiple tourism circuits to attract more domestic and international tourists. Besides, better highway connectivity and improved state highways have unlocked the opportunity to promote new and unexplored destinations in the region that have the potential to offer an unforgettable experience of visiting natural landscapes and exploring diverse and rich cultural heritage. The inauguration of the Northeast's first visa application centre in Guwahati has raised hopes for improved accessibility to international travel from the region. The majority of ASEAN countries allow either visa-free travel for a limited period or visa-on-arrival facilities for Indian tourists, and India reciprocating with an easy travel regime for ASEAN tourists visiting the Northeast will be critical to make the direct connectivity attractive to incoming passengers. Restrictive travel regimes prevalent in the region, like protected area permits, have strategic importance, but ensuring that they do not disincentivise incoming tourists from ASEAN countries will be crucial to make direct connectivity to the region attractive and hassle-free. As tourists expect their travel itineraries to be smooth, the Northeastern States will be required to play a proactive role to facilitate it. The region requires direct and seamless air connectivity to neighbouring countries more than these vibrant economies do; it is the responsibility of the states to take advantage of the increased direct connectivity along Guwahati-Bangkok routes to unlock its untapped potential in tourism and other economic sectors. It will be important to build the hospitality industry's capacity to receive a wider segment of incoming foreign travellers using this route and to extend them warm hospitality, positioning the region as a significant global destination. While this direct connectivity has created new opportunities, the challenge remains to leverage it for consistent inbound and outbound traffic.