Guwahati: In a boost to air connectivity in the Northeast, government-owned Pawan Hans Limited (PHL) will launch helicopter services on six routes in Assam under the regional connectivity scheme (RCS), UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) on February 8.
“PHL is launching its RCS UDAN services to provide connectivity on the “Dibrugarh-Jorhat-Tezpur-Guwahati-Tezpur-Jorhat-Dibrugarh” network in the first phase,” informed an official statement on Monday.
The chopper services will be available three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) in each sector.
In the Dibrugarh-Jorhat sector, the chopper services will operate from 8.50 am to 9.35 am during the three days; in the Jorhat-Tezpur route from 9.50 am to 10.40 am; in the Tezpur-Guwahati sector from 10.55 am to 11.45 am; in the Guwahati-Tezpur sector from 12.15 pm to 1.05 pm; in the Tezpur-Jorhat route from 1.20 pm to 2.10 pm and in the Jorhat-Dibrugarh sector from 2.25 pm to 3.10 pm
Notably, PHL has been awarded 86 routes under the RCS UDAN scheme in six states. Subsequently, the services will be operationalised in Arunachal Pradesh.
It may be recalled that Pawan Hans Limited was incorporated on October 15, 1985, as the Helicopter Corporation of India (HCI), the country’s one and only government-owned-helicopter service provider with the objective of providing helicopter support services to the oil sector for its off-shore exploration operations, services in remote areas and charter services for promotion of tourism.
The Narendra Modi government launched the UDAN scheme in 2016 to improve regional air connectivity. Under the scheme, financial incentives in terms of concessions from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to selected flight operators to encourage operations from unserved and under-served airports and keep airfares affordable.
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As at least half of the seats in UDAN flights are offered at subsidised fares, and the participating carriers are provided with a certain amount of viability gap funding (VGF) – an amount shared between the Centre and the state concerned.
The UDAN scheme gives special impetus to providing air connectivity to the remote places of the northeastern states which have inadequate rail and road connectivity. The operationalisation of these routes connecting four important cities in Assam will create ease of travel for the residents of the region and give a boost to trade and tourism.
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