Flybig airline begins operations in Imphal

Our Correspondent

Imphal, Sep. 26 (EMN): Flybig, which is said to be India’s only airline having Guwahati as its main hub, has started its maiden Guwahati – Tezu – Imphal – Tezu – Guwahati flight on its ATR aircraft after Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh flagged off the first flight from Imphal on Monday.

Flybig will connect Guwahati to eight destinations including Tezu, Pasighat, Rupsi, Agartala, Dibrugarh, Kolkata, Patna and Imphal, and will operate the new  air service sector under the central government’s ambitious UDAN scheme on all days except Mondays.

Addressing the inaugural function, Biren Singh maintained that the flight will directly fly to Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh and then to Guwahati. With such an initiative, connections among people of different Northeast states will become closer, he said. This would not only increase people to people connection but also bring growth in businesses and in the tourism sector.

Later sharing photographs of the day’s inaugural function in a Facebook post, Singh wrote, “Glad to have inaugurated the first Flybig flight from Imphal to Tezu. This has been made possible under Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s UDAN scheme. With multiple flights, connecting different corners of the North East region under the UDAN scheme, we will soon be witnessing a major boost in trade, commerce and tourism in the region.”

Singh also inaugurated Flybig’s check-in counter at the departure hall of Imphal airport besides presenting the first boarding card to the first passenger of the Imphal–Tezu flight.

The Flybig CMD, Sanjay Mandavia, said, "Today we are honoured and blessed to start our operations in Imphal, the cultural capital of Manipur, with the kind blessings of the Chief Minister Biren Singh and his team." "In the coming days, we will plan to connect Imphal to Silchar and Kolkata with direct connections."

Airport Director Rajesh Sinha of Imphal, said, "We welcome flybig wholeheartedly to Imphal, while assuring our support in its endeavour to connect Imphal with the rest of the nation through air connectivity. Together with flybig, AAI Imphal is committed towards propelling the Regional Connectivity Scheme – UDAN in the Northeast."

Earlier Flybig’s maiden flight from Tezu to Imphal’s Bir Tikendrajit International Airport was welcomed with a water cannon salute.