After several failed attempts, Puducherry will again try its luck to have uninterrupted air connectivity with a Bombardier SpiceJet aircraft taking off from Puducherry airport on Wednesday morning.
Hectic preparations are on at the airport for the resumption of flight operations from Wednesday after about two years of hibernation since Alliance Air suspended operations after six months, following differences over subsidy with the Government. Before that SpiceJet had launched flight services in 2013 with direct flights connecting Puducherry and Bengaluru but stopped operations after about a year.
A sizeable contingent, including the entire Cabinet led Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, legislators and senior officials would be present at the airport to see SpiceJet taking off its inaugural flight to Hyderabad around 10. 30 a.m.
Around 40 personnel from the India Reserve Battalion and Sigma Security of territorial police would take over the security of the airport from Wednesday. The men from IRB and Sigma Security would be responsible for security clearance.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had already given necessary training to the men in batches, a senior police officer told The Hindu .
In October, the territorial administration had signed an agreement under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme with Ministry of Civil Aviation and AAI.
The scheme, according to a Tourism Department official, would be in operation for 10 years through a financial stimulus in the form of concessions by the Centre and State governments.
Under the scheme, ticket prices have been pegged at ₹ 2500.
Commenting on the resumption of flight service, Chief Secretary Manoj Parida told The Hindu that the resumption of flight service was achieved against all odds.
‘Progress above egos’
“It’s criminal to allow the infrastructure to go waste by squabbling over small issues. We would have got flights three months ago, except for ego issues,” he said.
Mr. Parida said the next challenge would be to extend the runway after getting 110 acres of land from Tamil Nadu. “I have already taken up the issue of land acquisition with my counterpart in Tamil Nadu and Chairman of the Airports Authority of India to pay for the land. It will be a big boost to tourism sector,” he said.
A senior official in the government said they are very hopeful of continuing with the service as it comes as a policy decision of the Union Government.
“Unlike in the past, the present endeavour is part of a policy decision by the Centre to provide air connectivity to smaller airports. So we are very certain that it will go uninterrupted,” said the official.
