Assam MP urges Centre to begin night landing at Silchar Airport to boost connectivity
Purkayastha said that the airport already has required infrastructure in place for such operations
Assam MP Kanad Purkayastha with Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. (AT Photo)
Silchar, August 20: Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Kanad Purkayastha, has urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu to take immediate steps to enhance air connectivity and regulate spiralling airfares at Silchar Airport (IXS) — the primary aviation hub for south Assam and the neighbouring states of Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur.
In a letter to the minister, Purkayastha pressed for the introduction of night landing operations, noting that Silchar Airport already has the required infrastructure in place.
“If night landing facilities are introduced, airlines would be encouraged to increase flights. However, such operations have not yet begun, restricting scheduling flexibility and flight capacity at the airport,” the MP observed.
Reiterating his earlier demand for more flights to and from Silchar, Purkayastha flagged the airport’s limited connectivity despite rising passenger traffic and growing strategic importance.
He pointed out that inadequate air links severely hamper the mobility of students, patients, professionals, and business communities — especially during the monsoon, when road and rail routes become unreliable due to the region’s difficult terrain.
Raising concerns over exorbitant airfares, the MP highlighted that ticket costs, particularly during festivals or when rail services are disrupted by floods and landslides, have become unaffordable for ordinary citizens.
He further urged the Centre to bring Silchar under the UDAN scheme and to rationalise fares on the Silchar–Guwahati route, which remains the lifeline for the region’s connectivity.
Purkayastha cautioned that without urgent measures, the northeast’s air travel woes would continue to stifle growth, mobility, and accessibility — particularly during emergencies and peak travel periods.
Last month, the issue was also raised in the Lok Sabha by MP Parimal Suklabaidya, who urged Naidu to urgently introduce a direct Silchar–Delhi flight, adding that it's a "necessity not a luxury".
Meanwhile, as a silver lining, IndiGo Airlines has reportedly announced a new morning flight from New Delhi to Silchar via Guwahati, set to begin operations on September 20 this year.