UDAN Scheme : Dispur hopes Guwahati-South East Asia flights by mid-2019

UDAN Scheme : Dispur hopes Guwahati-South East  Asia flights by mid-2019

GUWAHATI: Dispur is pinning its hope on UDAN Scheme that by mid-2019 at least a few of the six international destinations under it will be operational from Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Internal (LGBI) Airport.

Following a formal plea from the Assam Government, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation is planning to connect Guwahati with six international destinations by air under its UDAN Scheme. The six destinations are Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu (Nepal), Yangon (Myanmar), Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

The UDAN Scheme of the Union ministry provides financial assistance to airlines to improve connectivity among Indian states and international destinations. The time period for the Union ministry’s quotation seeking bids from airlines for the new routes from Guwahati expired on November 22, 2018.

The UDAN Scheme provides a per seat subsidy of Rs 2,370 to Dhaka; Rs 2,710 to Kathmandu; Rs 4,400 to Bangkok; Rs 4,770 to Yangon; Rs 7,350 to Kuala Lumpur and Rs 7,880 to Singapore. From its end, Assam is going for Rs 100-crore Viability Gap Funding (VGF). Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has evinced interest in this scheme so as to boost both tourism and industrial investment in the State. The entire plan is to make LGBI Airport one of the air hubs in South-East Asia. The State government will put forward the route proposals.

Talking to The Sentinel, Commissioner, Department of Transport, Ashutosh Agnihotri, said: “As of now our vision for boosting air connectivity with South East Asia is going on right track. The Government of India is extending support to our vision. By mid-2019, we hope to get air connectivity between Guwahai and a few of the six international air destinations under UDAN. The new routes will be made operational after taking all formalities into account.”

Dispur plans to make flights under UDAN three-flight-a-week affair to the new destinations.

Also Read: Top Headlines

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com