Budget carrier IndiGo successfully test landed its aircraft at the newly-constructed Donyi Polo Airport near Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh on October 18.
Air connectivity at the Donyi Polo Airport at Hollongi in Arunachal Pradesh will begin from October 28, sources said.
With the impetus of UDAN, the first-ever historic full-fledged airport in the state will be inaugurated by the prime minister.
Sharing a video of the flight landing, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu tweeted: “It’s so satisfying and fulfilling to see IndiGo flight making a successful test landing at Donyi Polo airport. Ensuring better connectivity to our people is a top priority of my government. Rest assured we’ll ensure we’ve many more flights from Itanagar.”
It's so satisfying and fulfilling to see IndiGo flight making a successful test landing at Donyi Polo airport. Ensuring better connectivity to our people is a top priority of my government. Rest assured we'll ensure we've many more flights from Itanagar.🙏@PMOIndia @JM_Scindia pic.twitter.com/pcoZ6h3FLA
— Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) October 18, 2022
The new greenfield airport will boost tourism and also strengthen security of Arunachal Pradesh as the Northeast state shares international boundary with three countries – 1,160-km international border with China and a few hundred kilometres with Bhutan and Myanmar.
Under Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik (UDAN) scheme, the prime minister had launched first flight on April 27, 2017. The scheme aims to connect small and medium cities with big cities through air service.
Itanagar’s nearest airport is at North Lakhimpur in Assam which is about 57 kilometres from the state capital.