[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 14 Oct: Domestic airlines Indigo and FlyBig have become the first two airlines to book slots to start operation from the Donyi Polo airport in Hollongi, which is set to be inaugurated soon.
In the initial phase, Indigo will start direct flights from Hollongi to Kolkata, and passengers will have to get connecting flights from Kolkata to fly to their respective destinations.
FlyBig will start with flight service between Guwahati and Hollongi.
Further, Alliance Airlines has also proposed to start a service to connect Hollongi with destinations like Dibrugarh, Tezu, and Pasighat.
“Other airlines like Akasha, SpiceJet, etc, have also shown interest. But Indigo and FlyBig have made the first move,” informed an official of the civil aviation department.
Indigo has hired some of the project-affected people as ground staffers. “At present, they are being given training on how to handle the passengers. All the groundwork is being prepared,” the official added.
Regarding the infrastructure work at the airport, the official said that the airport is ready for inauguration.
“All the work is completed. The only remaining work, which is the installation of obstacle lights for night landing of aircraft, is in the final stage,” the official added.
The authorities are now waiting for confirmation of the date of inauguration from the prime minister’s office (PMO).
“PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the airport. After we get a confirmation letter from the PMO, we will need at least 15 days to prepare for the inauguration. It is going to be a big event. Also, there is a lot of protocol to be followed and it will take time to get everything ready,” the official added.
