From today, direct flight service will be started by FlyBig airlines between Pasighat in the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, and Kolkata and Guwahati. FlyBig regional head Manima Baruah was quoted in a PTI report saying that on Sunday, the newly launched airlines operated a trial flight with an ATR 72 aircraft and it landed safely at the Pasighat airport. The Union Civil Aviation Ministry recently tweeted that a trial flight operated by FlyBig airlines landed safely at Pasighat Airport. The scheduled civilian operations will commence 24 May 2021 (Monday) onwards. Direct flight services under the UDAN scheme will significantly boost the economic opportunities in the region, the ministry added.
It was a significant milestone in building air connectivity in the state, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said. According to Barua, the fare of this service would be cheaper than other airlines operating in the region. The air fare between Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh and Guwahati in Assam is Rs 1,100, while the air fare between Pasighat and Kolkata will be Rs 2,300, she stated. Since May 2018, flight services are being operated by Alliance Air three days a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, in the Pasighat – Guwahati – Kolkata route.
Earlier, FlyBig had said it has forayed into the Northeast region of the country to provide air connectivity under the Modi government’s UDAN scheme to remote areas amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and at a time when the country is facing challenges due to novel coronavirus crisis. Partnering with the central government and the state government to leverage initiatives like the Regional Connectivity Scheme, FlyBig endeavours to be the platform of development for the region in which it operates. The airline started flight services in the month of January this year and it aims to connect tier-2 and tier-3 cities within the country.