Airport to be connected with more destinations in coming days: Naidu
[ Bengia Ajum ]
HOLLONGI, 4 Sep: The permanent terminal building of the Donyi Polo Airport here was formally operationalized on Thursday. Also on the occasion, several facilities inside the new terminal building were inaugurated by union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Chief Minister Pema Khandu, in the presence of state Civil Aviation Minister Balo Raja and several officials.
The new terminal building has been constructed at a cost of Rs 165 crore.
While the old terminal handled 150 passengers during peak hour, the new terminal has the capacity to handle 800 passengers during peak hour and annually will be able to handle 15 lakh passengers.
Talking to the media at the new terminal building, Naidu said that the airport will be connected with more destinations in the coming days.
“We are working to get Donyi Polo Airport connected with cities of southern India. The daily flight service to Delhi will also start from 17 September onwards. Now that the permanent terminal building has been operationalised, we will definitely witness improvement in flight service in the days to come,” he said.
Further, he said that the issue of the lack of enough flight services from the Tezu Airport is also being looked into. On the issue of the extremely high cost of flight tickets from Hollongi to destinations like Delhi, the minister said that an increase in the frequency of flights would reduce the ticket price.
The minister also called for improving air connectivity within Arunachal Pradesh by connecting heliports with airports like Hollongi, Pasighat, Tezu, and Ziro.
Khandu in his address expressed hope that the new terminal building would make air travel more comfortable.
“It has always been our effort to bring comfort and ease to our people, so that students traveling for education, entrepreneurs reaching out for businesses, and families seeking healthcare in major cities can all do so with greater convenience. This terminal makes that promise real,” he said.
The new terminal of the Donyi Polo Airport has facilities like a cafe, Avsar (a retail space that showcases products of local SHGs) and a dedicated play area for children. The walls of airport are adorned with paintings that depict the tribal way of life.
The Donyi Polo Airport was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2022.
