Dibrugarh Press Club submits memorandum to civil aviation minister seeking evening flights
The Press Club pointed out that the absence of scheduled evening flights is a major impediment to development and mobility.;
The lack of evening flights, it said, causes serious inconvenience to several travellers.
Dibrugarh, June 6: The Dibrugarh Press Club (DPC) recently submitted a memorandum to Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, through the Chief Minister of Assam, requesting commencement of regular evening flights from Dibrugarh airport, a release from the DPC stated.
In the memorandum, the Press Club expressed gratitude for the Civil Aviation Ministry’s earlier initiative in extending the airport’s runway, a move that has significantly bolstered the air connectivity potential in the region. The Press Club also thanked the government for positively considering the long-standing public demand to name the airport after cultural icon Dr Bhupen Hazarika.
Highlighting Dibrugarh’s growing industrial and strategic importance in Upper Assam and the Northeast as a whole, the Press Club pointed out that the absence of scheduled evening flights is a major impediment to development and mobility. “Despite the installation of night landing facilities in 2010 and the successful evening landing of Jet Airways flight 9W-7079 in 2014, no regular evening services have been operational till date,” the memorandum stated.
The Press Club further noted that while the Dibrugarh airport is equipped with modern night navigation systems, these remain grossly underutilised. The lack of evening flights, it said, causes serious inconvenience to business-related travellers, patients, students, tourists, and professionals, many of whom are forced to halt overnight due to a lack of onward connections.
Terming it as a matter of public necessity and regional development, the Press Club earnestly appealed for urgent intervention of the government to ensure regular scheduled evening flights. “Such a step will not only enhance connectivity but also boost tourism, business, education, and healthcare access across Upper Assam and adjoining areas,” the Press Club stated.
The memorandum was signed and submitted by Manash Jyoti Dutta (president), Anil Kumar Poddar (vice president), and Ripunjoy Das (general secretary) of the Dibrugarh Press Club. Copies of the memorandum were also sent to State Cabinet Minister Prasanta Phukan, the airport director of Dibrugarh airport, and the district commissioner of Dibrugarh for information and necessary action. The submission included a copy of an earlier memorandum dated December 14, 2023.
By
Staff Correspondent