SpiceJet first airline to make night landing at Andamans

Budget passenger carrier SpiceJet on Monday said that it has become the first airline to perform a night landing at the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, Andaman.

According to the airline, the feat was achieved on September 11 at 6.10 p.m., by SG-251 flight from Kolkata which successfully carried out the first ever "civilian" night landing at Port Blair.

The upgradation of the runway, lighting and navigation systems at the airport aided the night landing, said the airline.

"This is another landmark achievement to realise the vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase connectivity to the remotest parts of India," said Lt. Gen. A.K. Singh, Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

"I look forward to SpiceJet and other airlines now adding regular night landing flights to Port Blair providing more domestic connections, and introducing international connections as well."

Currently, SpiceJet operates daily direct flights from Port Blair to Kolkata and Chennai, with onward connections.