Air Deccan is geared up to start flight services under the regional connectivity scheme, also known as Udan (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), from 15 December this year, Shillong airport officials said on Sunday.
According to a report on PTI, Air Deccan will use Shillong as a hub and Udan flights from there will connect to other destinations in the northeast region such as Agartala, Aizawl and Imphal.
The airline will also operate flights between Kolkata and Agartala.
Under the government’s Udan regional connectivity scheme, air fares are capped at Rs 2, 500 per person for an hour’s flight to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in which the government will provide subsidy for flying with such low fares.
‘Air Deccan authorities have given the schedule saying that they would start operating from 15 December this year,’ said M.K. Nayak, the director of Shillong airport.
He added, ‘Air Deccan will use an 18-20 seater aircraft for the Udan flights.’
The government recently asked Air Deccan to start operations from the region by making Shillong as a hub after the airline failed to meet their deadline for launching flights on the routes it had bagged under the Udan scheme. At present, Alliance Air, the regional arm of Air India, connects Shillong to Kolkata.
