New Delhi: Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, made a significant announcement on Sunday, revealing plans for the launch of three direct air routes originating from Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, as part of the 'Udan 5.0 scheme.'

During the inauguration of the recently upgraded Tezu Airport in Arunachal Pradesh, Minister Scindia disclosed that air travel between Itanagar and Delhi, Itanagar and Jorhat in Assam, as well as Itanagar and Rupsi in Assam, will soon become a reality.

Scindia proudly pointed out that the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) initiative has facilitated over 2.50 lakh flights, enabling more than 1.37 crore individuals to access air travel through the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN program.

Highlighting the remarkable progress, Scindia drew a comparison with the situation in 2014 when Arunachal Pradesh had no airports. In just nine years, four new airports have been developed and are now operational in the region.

"The inauguration of the new terminal building at Tezu Airport will further bolster connectivity in the area and play a pivotal role in advancing the region's economic growth," remarked Scindia.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) took on the responsibility of enhancing and upgrading Tezu Airport at the request of the state government.

Scindia detailed the scope of the Rs 170 crore project, which included runway extension (1500m x 30m), the construction of a modern apron designed for two ATR 72 type aircraft, the erection of a new terminal building, and the establishment of a combined fire station and Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower.

Tezu Airport initially became operational in 2018 under the RCS-UDAN scheme overseen by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Presently, the airport connects to Dibrugarh, Imphal, and Guwahati through regular scheduled flights offered by Alliance Air and FlyBig Airline.

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