Agartala, Oct 23, 2024, TRIPURA TIMES Desk

Agartala, Oct 23: Minister for Transport Sushanta Chowdhury on Wednesday wrote a letter to the IndiGo airlines in view of the skyrocketing airfare on Agartala- Kolkata route and withdrawal of three flights in the same route.

In his letter to Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director, Inter Globe Aviation Limited (IndiGo), Chowdhury expressed concern that ticket prices for flights between Agartala and Kolkata are currently between Rs. 10,000 and Rs 12,000 for a distance of only 327 km. He referred to the discussions in the state assembly held in the last session on this issue and urged the Airlines to consider how these increases impact all air passengers.

He also mentioned, “We have learned from media and airline sources that as part of the winter schedule for 2024, IndiGo Airlines will replace two 78-seat ATR flights with a 180-seat Airbus on the Agartala-Kolkata route, starting October 27, 2024, and December 16, 2024. Additionally, the cancellation of the last night flight (an Airbus) from Kolkata -Agartala-Kolkata will reduce the total number of available seats by 360 on both sides. This situation raises concerns about limited air travel options for passengers in the state.”

Chowdhury proposed a maximum price limit for flights on the Agartala-Kolkata route to protect the interests of the public and urged the airlines to continue the existing three flight services on the Agartala-Kolkata route.