AGARTALA: Besides persuading to bring more aviation companies, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is expecting to launch an ambitious international flight service between Agartala and Chittagong of Bangladesh in the next three months, a top official of Tripura transport department said on Sunday.
Tripura is connected with eight major cities of India mainly by Air India, IndiGo and one each flight of Air Asia and FlyBig airlines.
The Tripura government in August last year had moved the external affairs ministry of India and Bangladesh seeking clearance to start the Agartala-Chittagong (seaport of southern Bangladesh) passenger flight after getting sanction from the ministry of civil aviation.
The state government had agreed to bear the viability gap funding of Rs 15 crore per annum to the aviation company to make the service feasible at least thrice a week. However, the service was not started for six months due to the administrative delay in setting up customs and immigration facilities at the airport.
Initially, the Indian aviation company SpiceJet agreed to start the passenger flight service on the route and the state government has decided on a fare cap of Rs 4,500 for each trip to facilitate tourists and businessmen of both countries considering the growing commerce in the Southeast Asian region through Tripura via Bangladesh, the official stated.
“It is estimeated, each fleet will be 50% vacant but aviation companies would not run the flight unless getting the cost of those unoccupied seats, which we shall pay to make the service viable and sustainable,” said transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury said.
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