The
first direct flight operations between Imphal (Manipur) & Shillong
(Meghalaya) was flagged off yesterday under the RCS-UDAN (Regional
Connectivity Scheme — Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) 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. The officials of the Ministry of
Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI) were present
during the launch of the flight operations.
The
aerial connectivity between the capital cities of Manipur &
Meghalaya has been a long-awaited demand of the people of the region.
The beautiful city of Shillong is surrounded by hills from all sides.
Famous for the presence of many well-reputed educational institutions,
Shillong is the hub of education for the entire North-East India. Apart
from being the beauty & education centre, Shillong also acts as the
gateway to Meghalaya, the state famous for heavy rainfall, caves,
tallest waterfalls, beautiful landscapes, and its rich heritage &
culture. Shillong is famous for Elephant falls, Shillong Peak, Umiam
lake, Sohpetbneng Peak, Don Bosco Museum, Laitlum Canyons. Moreover,
Shillong is the only capital city in NorthEast India to produce two
football clubs that participate in the I-League, namely, Royal Wahingdoh
FC and Shillong Lajong FC. In addition to these, Shillong Golf Course
is one of the oldest golf courses in the country.
Due
to the non-availability of any direct mode of transportation, people
were compelled to cover a long 12-hour journey by road to reach Shillong
from Imphal or they had to take a flight to LokpriyaGopinathBordoloi
International Airport, Guwahati, then bus service to reach Shillong. The
completion of the entire journey took more than 1 day to reach Shillong
from Imphal or vice-versa. Now, natives 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.
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.
Till
date, 361 routes and 59 airports (including 5 heliports and 2 water
aerodromes) have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme. The scheme
is envisaged to establish strong aerial connectivity in all States and
UTs of the country which hitherto were not connected, laying the
foundation of a new regional segment in India’s aviation market.
The flight schedule is mentioned below:
|
Flight No. |
Departure |
Arrival |
Departure Time |
Arrival Time |
|
7959 |
Imphal |
Shillong |
09:55 |
10:55 |
|
7961 |
Shillon |
Imphal |
11:15 |
12:30 |