ITANAGAR, 17 Feb: Civil Aviation Minister Balo Raja has met officials of two private airlines and discussed ramping up flight connections to remote advanced landing grounds (ALGs) in the state and southern Indian cities like Bengaluru and Chennai.
Accompanied by state Civil Aviation Secretary Mamta Riba and other officials, Raja met Alliance Air CEO Rajarshi Sen and SpiceJet Vice President (Flight Operations) CS Palani in New Delhi on Monday.
According to an official statement, Raja thanked Alliance Air for its services to Ziro, Pasighat and Tezu airports, which help people visit Parashuram Kund, a Hindu pilgrimage destination, and the Namsai Golden Pagoda, which is a Buddhist meditation centre.
The minister urged the airline to introduce services of fixed-wing flights to Mechukha, Walong, and Tuting ALGs, aligning with the Centre’s frontier development vision for security and connectivity, the statement said.
He also sought daily Guwahati-Holongi ATR-72 services.
Sen assured Raja of ALG operations post-readiness and more Dornier 228 flights on the Itanagar-Guwahati route, the statement said.
Raja also apprised Palani, who is also SpiceJet’s chief adviser (corporate affairs), of the need for students and patients to visit cities like Chennai and Bengaluru.
The SpiceJet official promised to consider introduction of flights from Hollongi airport to the metropolises in southern India, with new fleets and seaplane services where viable, the statement said.
Raja called the meetings “productive” for fulfilling air connectivity aspirations via Hollongi. (PTI)
