Arunachal: ACCI President Urges Rijiju to Address Soaring Indigo Fares on Itanagar-Delhi Route

ITANAGAR: Tarh Nachung, president of Arunachal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), has raised grave concerns over the prohibitive airfares demanded by Indigo Airlines on the Itanagar-Delhi route.

To get relief on this issue, he met Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju at New Delhi and urged him for immediate intervention.

Indigo Airlines started its operations from Itanagar's Donyi-Polo Airport on November 28, 2022, providing a much-needed air link between Arunachal Pradesh and the national capital. The new service was welcomed worldwide, especially for patients seeking their treatment, government officers traveling for duty, and students studying outside the state.

However, the hefty cost of tickets has caused immense distress. Nachung highlighted that for a last-minute booking, fares could shoot up as much as ₹25,000, which would be very cost-prohibitive for air travelers.

Nachung alleged that official visits between Itanagar and Delhi incur huge costs at the state government's expense thereby putting additional pressure on the fiscal resources of the State of Arunachal Pradesh.

Moreover, several state residents who stranded in Delhi complained about the high fares of the service and failures to get reservations on trains, which goes contrary to the objectives of the air service. Nachung attacked the monopoly of Indigo on the route, saying it takes advantage of the needs of travelers without providing alternative services. During the meeting with Rijiju, Nachung proposed some measures to get over the issue.

These included daily flights on the Itanagar-Delhi route, or starting flights to Bengaluru and Chennai so that connectivity was bettered, and at the same time asking other airlines to start from Itanagar in order not to be a monopoly of Indigo. Rijiju being in the organizational habit assured Nachung that corrective steps would be taken.

He immediately called Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam. Another issue is that Nachung has been accompanying 12 staff members of NIT Yupia whose services have not yet been regularized due to incomplete documents.

The employees complained to Rijiju that an internal committee had scrutinized the documents and recommended regularization to the HoDs, who further presented the case to the Board of Directors.

With the meeting of the Board scheduled in Itanagar on November 22, Rijiju assured them of his support in resolving the matter. Nachung's advocacy highlights the need for affordable and accessible air travel in Arunachal Pradesh. His efforts, combined with Rijiju's intervention, bring hope that issues related to high airfares, route monopolization, and limited connectivity will be resolved, benefiting the residents of the state.

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