Mizoram CM Zoramthanga urges Centre to upgrade lone state airport

Aizawl: Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday asked the Centre to upgrade the Lengpui airport, the lone airport in Mizoram.

An official statement said that the chief minister, who is in the national capital, called on Union civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other officials at Puri’s office conference hall on Tuesday.

Both the leaders discussed a wide range of issues, including additional flight service for Mizoram and upgrade of Lengpui airport, the statement said. The Union aviation minister, on his part, promised the chief minister to take up the matter for further action.

Zoramthanga was accompanied by Mizoram chief secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo and principal consultant for civil aviation, Wing Commander Joe Lalhmingliana, and other officials.

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Mizoram will get three more airlines — GoAir, IndiGo and Alliance Air — starting from September. Lalhmingliana had said that Go Air has proposed to operate Airbus-320 daily on Kolkata- Guwahati-Aizawl sector from September 23. The other two airlines, IndiGo and Alliance Air, will probably start operations from October once they obtain clearance from the director-general of civil aviation (DGCA), he added.

The withdrawal of operation by Jet Airways from Mizoram in February has inconvenienced the people. As of now, the state has only one direct air link with Kolkata operated by Air India.

After fervent appeals, the Centre introduced air service between Aizawl and Imphal.

Commuters faced inconvenience due to absence of direct air connectivity between Aizawl and Delhi. Currently, they have to travel more than 150 km to Silchar in Assam to catch a flight for the national capital.