Manipur CM requests Centre to send team to examine high air ticket rates

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday requested Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu to send a team to examine the soaring price of air tickets from the state to other destinations.

Speaking through video conferencing at the launch of three flights of Alliance Air under viability gap funding by the state government, Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Civil Aviation minister for extending support in bringing Alliance Air to Manipur.

The Alliance Air will connect Imphal with Kolkata, Guwahati, and Dimapur in Nagaland from Wednesday..

"The price of air tickets is very high here. Please send a team here to examine what is happening. The Delhi to Imphal flight rate has almost gone up to Rs 20,000. Imphal to Guwahati has gone up to Rs 5,000 to 10,000. How common people can afford such high prices," he said.

He said "Manipur is passing through a "difficult time" for the last 20 months, people are not moving out through the highways due to the prevailing crisis. People from Churachandpur and Kangpokpi are also not able to travel by road. Mainly the 18 lakh population of Imphal valley are travelling by flight outside Manipur."  He urged the Civil Aviation minister to send a team to assess the price of the air tickets. "I will be very happy if you kindly instruct and arrange to minimise flight tickets and provide more flights that can travel directly to Delhi, Kolkata" Singh said.

Later in a post on X, Singh said "Pleased to announce the launch of Imphal-Guwahati-Imphal (Morning), Imphal-Kolkata-Imphal (Evening), Imphal-Dimapur-Imphal, new flight services aimed at improving connectivity and accessibility for the people of Manipur.

These flights will be operated by Alliance Air under the Viability Gap Funding scheme, funded by the State Government and the airfare for these routes has been capped at a maximum of Rs 5000" Singh said.