Air India Express on Monday responded positively to a formal appeal by Manipur governor A.K. Bhalla “to enhance and restore flight operations” to and from the strife-hit state.
The Raj Bhavan in a Facebook post on Tuesday said that following Bhalla’s letter to Union civil aviation minister K.R. Naidu on October 30, Air India Express “has decided to cap fares for the Imphal–Guwahati sector at ₹6,000 and will soon operate two additional daily flights — one to Guwahati and another to Kolkata.”
Appreciating the prompt response from the aviation ministry and the airline for addressing the connectivity concerns of Manipur, the post also said that it will share information on the new flight schedules.
Unreliable transport by road, reduced number of flights and surging airfare have compounded the commuting woes of students, patients, tourists and the general public.
Bhalla’s letter to Naidu pointed out the drastic reduction in flight connectivity from Imphal, which has adversely affected mobility, causing immense hardship to the people of Manipur.
“This sharp decline in air services is alarming and is causing severe hardship to the people, especially considering Manipur’s unique geographical and infrastructural challenges,” the letter stated, citing the lack of railway connectivity and unreliable road travel.