NEW DELHI, Feb 16: Arunachal Pradesh Civil Aviation Minister Balo Raja, along with a team of officers, on Monday held meetings with senior officials of Alliance Air and SpiceJet in New Delhi to enhance air connectivity in the state.
The Minister, along with Secretary (Civil Aviation) Mamta Riba and OSD Rajesh Kamalan, first met Alliance Air officials led by CEO Rajarshi Sen at their headquarters at Domestic Terminal-1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Expressing gratitude to Alliance Air for operating fixed-wing flight services to Ziro, Pasighat and Tezu, Raja underlined the importance of regular services to Tezu, the lone airport serving the eastern parts of the state, given its proximity to key tourist and pilgrimage destinations such as Parashuram Kund in Lohit and Golden Pagoda in Namsai district.
The Minister informed the airline that Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) at Mechukha, Walong and Tuting are being readied to receive fixed-wing aircraft and that people in these remote areas have high expectations for improved connectivity. He requested Alliance Air to consider deploying services to these ALGs once their civil terminals become operational. He also invited airline officials to visit Tuting ALG during the inauguration of its terminal building, which is scheduled to be inaugurated by the Chief Minister soon.
Raja further urged the airline to deploy ATR-72 aircraft for daily connectivity on the Guwahati–Hollongi sector, citing high passenger demand and the need for seamless onward connections to major cities from Donyi Polo Airport.
In response, the Alliance Air CEO assured the Minister that fixed-wing services would be extended to the ALGs immediately after operational clearance. He also conveyed plans to enhance frequency between Itanagar and Guwahati with additional Dornier 228 aircraft.
Later in the day, the Minister and his team met SpiceJet officials led by Chief Advisor (Corporate Affairs) and Vice President (Flight Operations) CS Palani at Arunachal Bhawan. Raja highlighted growing demand for direct connectivity between Hollongi and southern cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, noting that many students from Arunachal Pradesh and adjoining districts of Assam pursue higher education there, besides patients seeking advanced medical treatment.
SpiceJet officials informed the delegation that their team had already visited Hollongi airport to assess feasibility for these sectors. They assured full cooperation in introducing connectivity between Hollongi and southern cities once additional aircraft are inducted into their fleet. The airline also expressed readiness to introduce seaplane services in the state wherever feasible.
Terming the meetings productive, Raja said the discussions would help fulfil the long-standing aspirations of the people of the “Land of the Rising Sun” for enhanced intra-state connectivity and direct links to major southern cities through Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi.