AGARTALA, July 17 (TIWN): Even after the issue was raised in the Parliament, Central Govt yet to respond to the plea of State Tripura about flight increasement. Airlines Companies yet to show any positive reply to the State Govt’s please as SpiceJet didn’t respond to Tripura Govt’s demand of Agartala-Guwahati routes flight. In case of emergency flies the ticket prices are going Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000 causing huge distress for the flyers. However, Chief Minister Biplab Deb has requested central Govt to give one-way flight to Agartala-Delhi, Delhi-Agartala which is hoping to be come in action. During NITI Aayog meeting, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb has sought a direct flight between Agartala-Delhi, Delhi-Agartala.This demand was kept one of the top prioritized issues of the Govt.Also, the CM has demanded more numbers of flights from Agartala Airport due to sudden decrease in the flight counts.The Agartala-Delhi connectivity was asked for the ease-move of Doctors, Technocrats, Health Experts, Central Govt officials, Private Investors to save their valuable times.To mitigate the ongoing flight crisis, Govt of Tripura has requested the SpiceJet airline company to connect Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport under its Dhaka-Guwahati flight service.In a letter L.H.Darlong, Principal Secretary to the Govt of Tripura has written to Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet regarding this.

The Govt asked the Director to land its flight in the Airport while it’s carrying passengers to Guwahati, but the flight has started operation without responding to the Govt. Right now Tripura has only two Airlines : Air India and Indigo.

On the other side, state Tripura is waiting to have the International Airport in Tripura.The AAI had undertaken a Rs 438 crore project to upgrade the Agartala airport to international standards by providing world-class facilities.

After Guwahati and Imphal, the Agartala airport is set to become the third international airport in the northeastern region by the end of this year 2019 or by early 2020, a Minister said here. "The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has informed us that their ongoing works to make Agartala's Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport as an international one would be completed by this year end. But if the works are hampered due to the monsoon season or any other factor, then the declaration would be made by early 2020," Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said.

"The budgeted expenditure of Rs 438 crore is expected to be escalated. However, our government constantly asking the AAI to complete the works early and maintain the stipulated standards," the Minister added.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also recently discussed with the Civil Aviation Minister in New Delhi about the upgradation of the Agartala airport, which was built in 1942 by then King Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur.

According to an official of the Chief Minister's Office, Union Civil Aviation Minister Raj Kumar Singh responded positively when Deb requested him to expedite the works.