Agartala, August 12: Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury has sought the intervention of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu over the recent and proposed withdrawal or reduction of several flight services from Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Agartala, saying the situation is causing serious inconvenience to passengers.
In a letter to the Union Minister on Tuesday, Chowdhury expressed concern over declining air connectivity from Tripura at a time when passenger demand is increasing. He said services operated by Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and Akasa Air on several routes have either been withdrawn, reduced or are proposed to be discontinued.
According to the letter, Air India has reduced its services and is likely to discontinue operations on the Agartala-Guwahati sector from October 22.
Chowdhury said Air India Express has also withdrawn or reduced services on important routes, while its Agartala-Bagdogra-Bengaluru service is reportedly set to be withdrawn.
He further stated that IndiGo’s direct Agartala-Hyderabad service is proposed to be discontinued from October 1, while Akasa Air is scheduled to withdraw its service from Agartala from October 22.
The minister also pointed out that services on the Agartala-Shillong, Agartala-Aizawl and direct Agartala-Chennai sectors had earlier been withdrawn.
Chowdhury maintained that the reduction in flights is contrary to the growing demand for better connectivity from Tripura and has adversely affected travel options between Agartala and major cities across the country.
He also flagged a sharp rise in airfares on key sectors, including Agartala-Kolkata, Agartala-Delhi, Agartala-Guwahati and Agartala-Bengaluru.
The increase in fares, he said, is creating financial hardship for passengers, particularly those travelling for medical treatment, higher education, business, official assignments and other urgent purposes.
Seeking the Union Civil Aviation Minister’s personal intervention, Chowdhury requested that the matter be taken up with the airlines concerned.
He urged the Centre to explore all possible measures to restore withdrawn flights, retain existing services and augment capacity on high-demand routes from Agartala.
The minister stressed that adequate and affordable air connectivity remains crucial for Tripura, given the state’s geographical location and increasing travel requirements.
