Agartala, May 26 (PTI): Tripura chief minister Manik Saha has written to Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, requesting him to arrange additional flights to Agartala to ease passenger rush arising out of suspension of long distance train services to the state capital due to landslides in neighbouring Assam.
Saha stated that all the long distance trains connecting Agartala have been suspended since May 13 due to massive landslides in Assam’s Dima Hasao district and it will take at least two months to restore the services.
“It (the restoration) will take a minimum of two months provided there is no rainfall during the restoration works. Due to this, all the express train service has been stopped in and from Agartala. The condition of Assam-Agartala national highway is not good.
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“To ease the problem, it is requested that additional flights may kindly be introduced from Kolkata to Agartala and back, Delhi and Agartala and back and Agartala to Guwahati and back,” he said in the letter on May 21.
Saha also urged the Central minister to look into the matter personally and instruct the airline operators for introducing additional flights on the sectors.
The cost of a ticket for Agartala-Kolkata route has increased to Rs 6,300, while the return ticket costs at Rs 5,598.
An air ticket for Agartala-Delhi sector costs Rs 15,400, while the same for return is available at Rs 11,600.
The price of an air ticket for Agartala-Chennai route is hovering around Rs 19,000, while a return journey costs Rs 11,200, according to industry sources.
“Air ticket prices in important locations have more than doubled because of the disruption in train service to the state. Normally, a ticket for Agartala- Delhi route is around Rs 6,500 to Rs 7,000 this season but now it has gone up to Rs 15,000! It will go up further if additional flights are not arranged,” said an official of Hindustan Tours & Travels here on Wednesday.
Altogether 19 flights carried 4,745 passengers in and from the airport here on May 23 and 5,218 people used the facility on May 22, said an Airports Authority India (AAI) official.
