Air connectivity from the Northeast to other parts of the country got a boost on Sunday with the launch of direct flights to Bhubaneswar and Varanasi.
An Airports Authority of India (AAI) statement said direct flights have linked Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport here with Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Pakyong in Sikkim.
Indigo’s flight (6E-726) arrived at 8.15am from Bhubaneswar and the return flight (6E-731) left for Bhubaneswar at 1.50pm, the statement said. The other Indigo flight (6E-953) departed for Varanasi at 8.45am and the return flight (6E-954) arrived here at 1.15pm, the AAI said.
Guwahati airport director Ramesh Kumar, AAI and CISF officials along with other officials were present to greet passengers of these flights, the statement said.
The historic flight from Pakyong, started by SpiceJet, (SG-3325) arrived here at 12.20pm. The flying time between Guwahati and Pakyong is an hour.
A rousing water cannon salute was given to the flight. The same flight SG-3326 departed Guwahati at 12.40pm for Pakyong.
“It was a long-pending demand of passengers from Assam. This will boost air connectivity and promote tourism in the Northeast where Guwahati acts as major hub for the other states in the region,” an AAI official said.
The flights to Bhubaneswar and Varanasi are important as both Odisha and Uttar Pradesh have great tourism significance.
Fliers who earlier wanted to travel to Odisha had to first go to Calcutta and then take a connecting flight to Bhubaneswar. Several people from here go to Puri as well.
The cabinet committee on economic affairs has already approved the Rs 1,383-crore new international terminal at LGBI Airport, giving a push to the Centre’s plan to make Guwahati a gateway to the Asean.
Traffic has also picked up at LGBI Airport, which is ranked as the eighth busiest airport in the country among those run by the AAI. Sources said around 120 commercial flights (both arrivals and departures) operate from the LGBI Airport every day.
According to data available with the AAI, in 2017-18, the airport witnessed a footfall of 46,68,053 passengers with a movement of 41,172 flights.
Drukair also commenced bi-weekly flights from Guwahati to Singapore from September 29.
The introduction of this service is expected to reduce travel time from almost 10 hours, including transfers, to four-and-a-half hours.
Lim Ching Kiat, managing director of air hub development, Changi Airport Group, had said in a statement that it looked forward to welcoming more travellers from Guwahati, who can tap Changi airport’s network to destinations in Australia, China, Indonesia and Japan.