Shillong, Aug 1 (IANS) Alliance Air Friday resumed its services between Kolkata and Shillong besides Tezpur and Lilabari in Assam, an official said Friday.
Alliance Air, a subsidiary of national carrier Air India, stopped its services June 1 due to irregular payment of the viability gap funding by the North Eastern Council (NEC).
“Alliance Air has resumed its air service between Kolkata and the three airports – Shillong, Tezpur and Lilabari – from Friday while the air service between Silchar and Kolkata is expected to start from Aug 10,” said NEC Advisor (Transport and Communication) P.H.K. Singh.
He said the airline has agreed to resume its operations in the region once in six days a week for Kolkata-Shillong, three days a week for Kolkata-Guwahati-Tezpur and four days a week for Kolkata-Guwahati-Lilabari.
Singh said a memorandum of understanding will soon be signed between the NEC and Alliance Air to ensure smooth air connectivity between Shillong, Tezpur and Lilabari airports and others.
The NEC, a regional planning body for the eight northeastern states, paid Rs.49 crore annually as viability gap funding to Alliance Air for operating air services in the region. It has assured that necessary viability gap funding will be provided to ensure air connectivity in the region.