Airline's decision irks Upper Assam fliers

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Dibrugarh, Jan 16: One of the major airlines in India in the private sector, Jet Airways, seems to be planning to withdraw its Boeing 737-800 aircrafts operating in the Dibrugarh – New Delhi sector and that the same are going to be utilized for flight operations to Aizawl, while Dibrugarh Airport, the eastern most airport in the country, amidst a highly industrialized zone, will be served with ATR-72 type aircrafts. This information was made available by a source in Jet Airways.

The local air passengers in Dibrugarh and also in adjoining areas using the Dibrugarh Airport for their travel have expressed their serious dissatisfaction over the development.

Social activist bajyoti Borkakoty, said, ‘We certainly do not have an issue over Jet Airways connecting to Aizawl or any other airport in North East. But what has made us very much concerned is that, this development comes at the cost of Dibrugarh, the undisputed industry hub of the Northeast.’

It may be mentioned that the Jet Airways flight from New Delhi to Dibrugarh began in under the erstwhile Sahara Airlines and that the same was operated with Boeing 737 aircrafts. Later on, Indigo airlines chipped in with introduction of a flight between New Delhi to Dibrugarh sector with Airbus 320 aircraft and later added one more direct flight in the same sector with the same type of aircraft, which is a non-stop direct flight. While Jet Airways is supposed to introduce more flights to and from Dibrugarh, considering Dibrugarh’s economic and industrial importance, this move for flying ATR -72 type aircrafts in the sector will considerably reduce the number of seats in the sector besides considerably increasing the flying time to and from Dibrugarh by such aircrafts.

O Bhudev Phukan, the President of the Eastern Assam Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, ‘We feel, this development is going to have an adverse effect upon industry in the eastern Assam region and is at the same time against the spirit of Act East Policy of the Govt. of India. Rather Jet Airways need to reschedule the Dibrugarh-New Delhi flight to evening hours to facilitate tourism and industry, which does save a day for the travellers.

Business and corporate air passengers, who use the Dibrugarh Airport for their travel in eastern Assam towns of Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Duliajan and Digboi have expressed their opinion that Jet Airways should urgently introduce an additiol flight from Cheni to Dibrugarh and back preferably in the morning hours.

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