India greenlights new air routes connecting northeastern states to International destinations

The Indian government has greenlit four new air routes connecting northeastern states to international destinations under the flagship regional air connectivity scheme, UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), which translates to "Let the common citizens of the country fly." 

This government initiative promotes regional air connectivity by making air travel affordable and accessible to a larger population, especially in remote regions.

This has marked a historic first for the region. The routes include connections from Assam to Thailand and Bangladesh, Manipur to Myanmar, and Tripura to Bangladesh.

Subsidised fare 

Scheduled to become operational within a few weeks, the airfares on these routes—Guwahati-Bangkok, Guwahati-Dhaka, Imphal-Mandalay, and Agartala-Chittagong—will be subsidised under the UDAN scheme. 

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Anil Kumar Gupta, Executive Director of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), during the 11th International Tourism Mart in Shillong, reportedly said that the new routes were proposed based on demands from the concerned states and are aimed to promote tourism from neighbouring countries. 

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The official also reportedly said that four more routes linking the northeast to neighbouring countries are in the pipeline. 

Two of these routes, Guwahati-Dhaka and Agartala-Chittagong, are under 500 km and are expected to cost travelers under Rs 4,000 once operational.

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UDAN scheme, launched on April 27, 2017, initially capped airfares for journeys under 500 km at Rs 2,500 for 40 seats on a flight. Now, officials indicate that airlines can charge up to Rs 3,800 for the same.

Introduced in 2022, 'International UDAN,' improves air connectivity from specific states to selected international destinations. 

(With inputs from agencies)