Government mulling launching dedicated airline for north-east region
11 Apr 2008
New Delhi: In an effort to improve connectivity in the far flung north-eastern states of the country the central government is mulling setting up a dedicated regional airline for the region, according to a senior aviation official.
According to KN Srivastava, joint secretary, civil aviation ministry, ''We are giving a serious thought at having an exclusive regional airline for north-eastern area of our country. About 90 per cent of the funds for the airline will be borne by the central government and 10 per cent would be paid by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other concerned agencies.''Srivastava was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Aerodrome India 2008.
The northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, also referred to as the 'Seven Sisters,' along with Sikkim, continue to be poorly connected with the rest of the country.
The government of India has reiterated its commitment to improving air connectivity in the north-east through upgrades of 18 airports. It also includes plans for greenfield airports in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
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