News Analysis India

Tag: regional connectivity scheme

  • First direct flight operations flagged off on Imphal – Shillong route under UDAN

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: The first direct flight operations between Imphal (Manipur) and Shillong (Meghalaya) was flagged off on Tuesday under the Regional Connectivity Scheme — Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of the Government of India.

    “The operationalization of this route fulfills the objectives of the Government of India to establish strong aerial connectivity in priority areas of NorthEast India,” said a press release by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

    From now onwards, people can easily fly between the two cities by opting for a flight of just 60 mins from Imphal to Shillong and 75 mins from Shillong to Imphal. Earlier, the completion of the entire journey took more than a day to reach Shillong from Imphal or vice-versa, the press release further said.

    To date, 361 routes and 59 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water aerodromes) have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme, added the press release.

    The aerial connectivity between the capital cities of Manipur and Meghalaya has been a long-awaited demand of the people of the region, it further said.

    Shillong is the second city to be connected with Imphal under the UDAN scheme. The airline M/s Indigo was awarded the Imphal-Shillong route during the UDAN 4 bidding process.

    The airlines are being provided Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the UDAN scheme to keep the fares affordable & accessible for the common people, The airline will be operating four flights in a week and will deploy its 78-seater ATR 72 aircraft. Currently, 66 UDAN routes are operational by M/S Indigo airlines.

    The scheme is envisaged to establish strong aerial connectivity in all States and UT of the country which hitherto was not connected, laying the foundation of a new regional segment in India’s aviation market. (ANI)

  • Bhupesh Baghel wrote a letter to Union Minister of Aviation Shri Hardeep Singh Puri

    Bhupesh Baghel has written to Union Aviation Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri regarding allowing air connectivity from metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata of Chhattisgarh’s judicial Bilaspur under the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The Chief Minister has urged the Union Minister to facilitate RCS connectivity with the metropolitan cities of Bilaspur in the UDAN 4.1 scheme to be implemented in the near future.
    The Chief Minister has written in the letter that I would like to bring to your attention the issue of RCS connectivity of the metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata etc. with Bilaspur. This topic has also been highlighted in my earlier correspondence with you due to the importance of Nyadhani Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and the strategic and important geographical location of Bilaspur within the state and territory. I would like the desired support from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on this subject.
    The Chief Minister has written to the Union Minister of Aviation that the Bilaspur Airport has recently been upgraded to the 3C VFR category. The state government is seriously striving for direct and in-phase flights from Bilaspur to both metros under RCS connectivity. For this, many correspondence and discussions at different levels have been done from time to time.
    The Chief Minister has urged the Union Minister to grant permission for air connectivity to the metropolitan cities of Bilaspur under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, giving necessary enforcement and concession in the rules in this regard. The Chief Minister has written in the letter that I believe that in terms of economic progress of this entire region and to provide low cost air travel facilities to the public, the DW. Should consider this subject liberally.
    The Chief Minister has written in the letter that I would like to assure you that the state government will do whatever is necessary for air connectivity to the metropolis of Bilaspur. The state government has so far approved Rs 45 crore for the development of Bilaspur Airport. Out of which 21 crore rupees have been spent. To meet any contingency, Bilaspur Airport has considerable potential and scope to be developed in future as an alternative aerodrome for Raipur Airport. Presently Raipur Airport is the only airport of its category in this entire region.