Tourism Ministry moots 'Mountain Airlines' for NE

The Tourism Ministry has mooted the idea of 'mountain airlines' which could prove to be panacea for poor air links in the region.

With a view to tap the full tourism potential of the North-East, the Union Tourism Ministry has mooted the idea of 'mountain airlines' which could prove to be the panacea for the poor air links in the region.

HT Image

The proposed airlines will use small aircraft to ferry passengers in the eight states of the region, removing the biggest bottleneck in air travel as such planes will be less susceptible to vagaries of the weather.

A proposal has already been sent to the Civil Aviation Ministry to examine its feasibility, Tourism Minister Renuka Choudhury told PTI here.

"The uncertainty about air travel in the North-East is the biggest problem for its tourism sector. Visitors sometimes waste days just waiting for their flight," she said.

The schedules of small propeller-powered planes and helicopters are less likely to be affected by the ever-changing weather conditions in the North-East.

Such aircraft can also operate from small airfields in remote locations as they do not require elaborate infrastructure like the bigger ones.

Choudhury said though her Ministry was spending crores of rupees to promote the North-East as a choice destination for foreign tourists, the uncertainty of flights was denting the image of the region.

The introduction of 'mountain airlines' is likely to take care of such problems, she said.