AIR CONNECTIVITY
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHHATI, Jan 30: To boost air connectivity in the North East, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has chalked out plans to develop six low-cost or no-frills airports across the region.
Airlines operating from these airports will get concessions on landing, parking charges and other expenses.
“There will be six new no-frills airports in the north-eastern region under the Regiol Connectivity Scheme – UDAN. We will develop no-frills airports in Silchar, Dimapur, Aizawl, Pasighat, Lilabari, Rupsi to boost the demand,” AAI chairman Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra told this reporter on Monday evening.
Under the UDAN scheme, low cost or no-frills airports are being developed across the country. Some of these airports to be built under the Regiol Connectivity Scheme will have mobile ATC towers as fewer flights will operate from them.
The airports will be completed in two phases under the UDAN scheme. In the first phase, the Shillong airport will be connected to Silchar in Assam, Imphal in Manipur, Dimapur in galand, Aizawl in Mizoram and Agartala in Tripura.
In the second phase of UDAN , Pasighat and Tezu in Aruchal Pradesh and Jorhat, Lilabari, Tezpur and Rupsi in Assam will be developed for fixed wing operations.
“The low cost airports will be developed by expanding runways, construction of termil buildings, creating provision of mobile towers. There will be portable cabins for the first three years until the demand is stabilized,” Dr Mohapatra said.
Explaining ratiole behind reviving such low cost airlines Dr Mohapatra said peculiar and difficult terrain of the North East has made air connectivity as the only viable means and affordable means of communication. Under such concept, cheap essential models have been developed and these no-frills airports will be developed at cost of Rs 5-6 crore each.
The AAI has also decided to invest Rs 2350 crore for the existing airports in all NE States which will cover the up-gradation and expansion of existing airports, revival of non-operatiol airports, up-gradation of ANS infrastructure and telecommunication infrastructure.
On other hand, the AAI has planned to convert the Lokapriya Gopith Bordoloi Intertiol Airport (LFBIA) at Azara into an air connectivity hub for South East Asian countries. The airport will operate on a 24X7 basis from next month to handle late night, midnight and early morning domestic and intertiol flights.