Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 490/09

AIR INDIA INCREASES FREQUENCY TO SHILLONG

Efforts made by the Chief Minister Dr. D.D. Lapang to increase the frequency of flights to Shillong and to solve the connectivity issues bore fruits today when a communication from Air India Ltd was received.

According to the Air India management, Alliance Air (wholly owned subsidiary of Air India Ltd.) will operate 6 flights a week except Friday and will use ATR Aircraft on this route which can carry upto 45 passengers.

The service will be effective from 12th December 2009 and senior functionaries from Air India will arrive in Umroi Airport on the 13th December 2009 to officially announce the increase in the frequency.

The decision to approach the airline was made in the first meeting of the State Task Force on Tourism in August 2009. Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Arvind Jhadav met the Meghalaya delegation led by Dr. Lapang Chief Minister in Meghalaya House, New Delhi recently. Union Minister of State for Water Resources Sh. Vincent Pala, Dy. CM, Dr. Mukul Wasnik, Former Chief Secretary Ranjan Chaterjee, Advisor to CM, Anish Gandhi, PRC New Delhi, Ajay Bhalla were a part of the delegation which met Air India Chief.

Other matters like setting up of the Air India Call Centre and Air India International Academy for Aviation Services, routes connecting Tura are being followed up with the Ministry of Civil Aviation.