GUWAHATI:
In a major boost to regional connectivity, Rupsi Airport, located between Dhubri and Bodoland Territory Region, will be operating flights to Kolkata and Guwahati on all days in the week except Monday.
The air service by Fly Big airlines, which started on February 18, will now directly connect Rupsi airport to Guwahati and Kolkata.
“We are happy to announce that Rupsi Airport will now be operating flights every day except Monday. It was among the major demands of the passengers travelling through this airport,” said Hemang Arora, the airport-in-charge, Rupsi Airport.
Notably, the Rupsi airport was redeveloped under the Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN, and the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had permitted flight operation from Rupsi Airport from May 8, 2021.
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) had re-developed the World War-II era airstrip located in Assam (earlier in Dhubri district) at an estimated cost of Rs 69 crore and the foundation stone for it was laid by the then Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in February 2019.
The Rupsi airport, which is spread across 337 acres, has a terminal building measuring 3,500 sq/m and is equipped with 10 check-in counters.
The terminal is designed to manage about 200 passengers during peak hours and the newly built runway is suitable for landing ATR-72 type aircraft.
The operationalisation of Rupsi Airport will help boost the local economy of the Bodoland area and provide better connectivity to air travellers of Dhubri and adjacent districts of Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Goalpara as well as districts in the neighbouring states of Meghalaya, West Bengal and parts of Bhutan, informed Arora.