Arunachal Minister Pushes Airlines for Better Regional Flight Access

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Civil Aviation Minister Balo Raja wants more planes in the sky. He fired off letters to the top bosses at Akasa Air and Alliance Air this week. The state needs better connections. Raja is pushing for direct routes from Itanagar to Kolkata and closer links with nearby Assam districts.

The minister specifically asked Akasa Air to launch an Itanagar to Kolkata flight with onward connections to Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. This move carries weight. IndiGo might soon scrap its current direct Itanagar-Kolkata route after it rolls out a new Itanagar-Guwahati-Kolkata path in October. Reliable flights keep the state moving. "Reliable air connectivity from the state capital is important for students, patients, government officials, tourists and business travellers from Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring regions," Raja wrote.

Raja also pressed Alliance Air to look into using its ATR 72 aircraft for the Itanagar-Kolkata run. For regional travel, he suggested the airline deploy smaller Dornier planes to service Ziro, Tuting, Anini, Pasighat, and Tezu. These remote spots already have operational airports and Advanced Landing Grounds ready for business. The minister expects these changes to drive trade and tourism, especially in the strategically sensitive border areas.