PASIGHAT, Apr 23: Marking a historic moment and milestone for the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, Alliance Air, ATR -42 today landed successfully at Pasighat Airport on a proving test flight, paving the way for operation of commercial flights.

The Team along with crew members led by Vikash Sharma, Chief of Flight Safety, Alliance Air and flight Inspector, DGCA, NS Lohan, were accorded warm welcome by local MLA-cum-Parliamentary Secretary Disaster Management, Kaling Moyong including Director Civil Aviation,
Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, T. Messar, DC East Siang, Tamiyo Tatak and SP East Siang, Prashant Gautam among others on the occasion.
Addressing on behalf of the team, Flight Inspector , DGSA ,Captain NS Lohan shared  “It  was a lovely flight to Pasighat; we are really proud that we are  making history. People of Arunachal are really going to enjoy Alliance Air.” He appreciated the runaway and infrastructure of Terminal Building and wished the best for future operations in opening up to the rest of the mainland in air connectivity.
Coordinator Alliance Air, TK Saha, was also present on the occasion.  Welcoming the team members, Local MLA, Kaling Moyong also expressed his happiness on the successful test flight to Pasighat Airport, adding that the long felt demand for operation of passenger flights
has taken shape with the inaugural flight.

“This is a really historic moment for the people of the state,” Moyong said on the occasion. He asked the concerned department for time bound completion of Administrative Building of Airlines for Station Manager, Engineering Wing and Stock Room. The MLA also requested for additional operation of Pasighat – Dibrugrah – Guwahati flight service on need basis.

Commercial flights will start operating, with the completion of formalities of submission of reports by the team. Scheduled flights will begin operating soon after the clearance.

Under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) ,Udaan Scheme, Ministry of Civil Aviation, GoI, Alliance Air has been awarded route from Kolkata to Pasighat via Guwahati. Zoom Air and True Jet has been allotted for Tezu Airport and will also fly to Tezu via Pasighat and is expected to start in August, 2018.

Assistant Manager, Alliance Air, Jayanta Bhakta, Service Engineers and team had arrived a day earlier.  Udaan (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik), for boosting regional connectivity has been launched by the Central Government with stated objective of  “Let the common citizen of the country fly” to make air travel affordable and widespread and boost inclusive economic and job growth and air transport infrastructure development of all regions and state of India. This will also boost tourist inflow to the region.

ITANAGAR: Chief Minister Pema Khandu today said a new chapter in the history of Arunachal Pradesh has begun with the successful test-landing of the Alliance aircraft – ATR 42 at civil terminal of the Pasighat advanced landing ground at about 12.30 hours today.

Congratulating the people, especially those from the eastern and central districts of the state, on the achievement, Khandu said that one of the greatest challenges of connectivity facing the state has been overcome. He profusely thanked the officials of state civil aviation department, East Siang district administration, the Air-Force, Indian Army, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airport Authority of India (AAI), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Ministry of Civil Aviation and the people of Pasighat for cooperating and coordinating in successful completion of the ALG and the subsequent test-landing of an Alliance aircraft.

The test-landing was overseen by officials of DGCA, BCAS, AAI and representatives of Alliance airlines in coordination with the district administration and officials of the state civil aviation department.

“Soon we would have the first civilian aircraft fly off from Pasighat and I am optimistic the same would follow in various ALGs of the state encompassing our state in the country’s flight map. This may look a simple step to many but is one giant leap for us,” Khandu said in a statement here this evening. 

The Chief Minister also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is taking special care of Arunachal Pradesh and the North East in all spheres of development, especially in the connectivity sector.

The Alliance aircraft with its crew members reached Pasighat from Guwahati in about two hours twenty minutes. They were accorded a warm reception at Pasighat led by local legislator Kaling Moyong.

 

 

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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