Vision to make NE logistics, aviation hub connecting India with Southeast Asia: Minister

Itanagar, Sep 4 (PTI) Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday said that the Centre's vision was to make the Northeast a logistics and aviation hub connecting India with Southeast Asia.

Speaking at the third Northeast Aviation Summit and Regional Ministers' Conference on civil aviation here, Naidu said that all eight northeastern states are now connected by air, with the number of operational airports in the region rising from nine in 2014 to 16 at present.

"The Centre's vision is to make the Northeast a logistics and aviation hub connecting India with Southeast Asia. By 2047, India will operate more than 350 airports. The Northeast will be central to this growth," he said.

"Aircraft movements have nearly doubled from 51,000 in 2014 to over 96,000 in 2024, reflecting the sharp increase in demand and the faith of passengers in our aviation sector," he said.

International traffic from Guwahati has already grown fivefold in the past year, driven largely by new services to Thailand, he said.

Naidu said the Udaan regional connectivity scheme has been extended for another 10 years in a modified form, calling it the "biggest catalyser of regional aviation growth".

Since its inception in 2016, Udaan has enabled more than 700 new routes, many in difficult terrains like the Northeast, making air travel accessible to smaller towns.

The minister outlined several major projects in the pipeline, including a new terminal at Imphal Airport by 2025, development of Tura Airport in Meghalaya, runway extension work at Shillong Airport, and proposals for Kailashahar Airport in Tripura, a greenfield airport at Silchar, and a civil enclave at Jorhat.

The event was attended by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma, state Civil Aviation Minister Balo Raja, Assam minister Jogen Mohan, Sikkim Tourism Minister Tshering Thendup Bhutia, state Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta, Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI) Vipin Kumar, and civil aviation officials from other northeastern states. PTI UPL UPL ACD