Staff Reporter 

NEW DELHI, Feb 16: In a major push to strengthen air connectivity across Arunachal Pradesh, Civil Aviation Minister Balo Raja held high-level meetings with top officials of Alliance Air and SpiceJet in the national capital on Monday.
The Minister, accompanied by Mamta Riba, Secretary (Civil Aviation), and Rajesh Kamalan, OSD, met Alliance Air officials led by CEO Rajarshi Sen at their headquarters located at Terminal-1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
On behalf of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, Raja expressed heartfelt gratitude to Alliance Air for operating fixed-wing flight services to key destinations such as Ziro, Pasighat, and Tezu. He underscored the strategic importance of Tezu airport, describing it as the lone operational airport serving the entire eastern region of the state.
Highlighting Tezu’s central location, Raja pointed out its proximity to major tourist and pilgrimage destinations including Parashuram Kund and Golden Pagoda, stressing the need for regular and reliable air services to boost tourism and regional accessibility.
The Minister briefed the airline on the readiness of Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) at Mechukha, Walong, and Tuting to receive fixed-wing aircraft. He said these frontier airstrips are being upgraded to fulfill the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has consistently emphasized strengthening border infrastructure and connectivity to enhance national security and support border residents.
Raja informed that the civil terminal building at Tuting ALG is set to be inaugurated soon by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, and invited Alliance Air officials to attend the inaugural event while assessing operational feasibility.
Responding positively, Alliance Air CEO Rajarshi Sen assured the Minister that fixed-wing services would be introduced to the ALGs immediately upon their operational readiness. He also committed to increasing daily flights between Itanagar and Guwahati by deploying an additional Dornier 228 aircraft.
Raja further requested the airline to consider deploying ATR-72 aircraft for daily connectivity between Guwahati and Hollongi, citing high passenger demand. He said enhanced frequency would significantly improve onward connectivity to major Indian cities and benefit students, professionals, and tourists alike.
Later in the day, the state delegation met senior officials of SpiceJet led by C.S. Palani, Chief Advisor (Corporate Affairs) & Vice President (Flight Operations), at the Resident Commissioner’s office in Arunachal Bhawan.
During the interaction, Raja emphasized the growing demand for direct air connectivity from Hollongi to southern metropolitan cities like Bengaluru and Chennai. He highlighted that a large number of students from Arunachal Pradesh and adjoining districts of Assam pursue higher education in these cities, while many others travel there for advanced medical treatment.
SpiceJet officials confirmed that their team had already visited Hollongi airport to assess operational feasibility. They assured full cooperation and expressed willingness to introduce flights connecting Hollongi with southern cities once additional aircraft are inducted into their fleet, a process currently underway.
The airline also revealed plans to introduce seaplane services in Arunachal Pradesh wherever feasible, opening new possibilities for tourism and regional transport.
Terming the discussions as “highly productive and fruitful,” Raja said the engagements marked a significant step toward fulfilling the long-cherished aspirations of the people of the Land of Rising Sun. He expressed optimism that enhanced connectivity within the state and direct links to southern cities through Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi, would soon become a reality.

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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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