Northeast India will soon have better regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme as the civil aviation ministry has provided a no objection certificate (NOC) to JettWings Airways to operate scheduled commuter air transport services. Once JettWings gets the approval for operations, it will be the first ever airline to operate from the northeast region of the country.
The airline in a statement said it initially plans to offer regional connectivity to destinations in the northeast and eastern regions, under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme.
Sanjay Aditya Singh, the co-founder and CEO of the airline, said the airline would be working closely with the DGCA to complete all the formalities for the operations. "Once we are granted the AOC, we strongly believe and commit to becoming a reliable and sustainable airline with its roots deeply entrenched in northeast India," he said.
He added that an airline based out of the northeast, with a sense of doing business in India, was much needed. "JettWings Airways shall strive to achieve the same in the next few months of our preparation as we near take off," he said.
The chairman of the airlines Sanjive Narain said the airline, under the UDAN scheme, has a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the northeast region by improving connectivity and creating new economic opportunities.
The airline plans to offer premium economy services as well as a loyalty programme.
"The JettWings Airways fleet will have state-of-the-art aircraft with dual-class configuration — business class and premium economy options. Once approved for flight operations, the airlines will be the first ever company from the northeast region to operate airline operations in the country," the airline said in a statement.
In the recent past, northeast India has also seen a boost in terms of aviation connectivity.
Earlier this year, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said till 2014, there were only nine operational airports in the northeast. "Today, we have increased that to 16. Two states in the northeast didn't have a single airport — Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Now, Arunachal has three airports. Assam has four," he had said.
On another note, the CEO of the airline Singh is also the Chairman of the Jettwings Group of Institutes.
The institute of aviation, tourism management and hospitality is based out of Guwahati, Assam. It also has a school of aviation, a business school, a travel school as well as a fashion, design and architecture institute.
According to its website, more than 15,100 students graduating from its institutes have been placed in 14 countries, so far. Their recruiters in the aviation industry include airlines such as Emirates, Vistara, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, and IndiGo, among others.
First Published: Jun 14, 2023 1:04 PM IST
