Mounting concern over steep airfares and thinning flight options in Manipur has prompted a swift response from the Centre, which has cleared two new services linking Imphal with Guwahati and Kolkata. The move follows an appeal from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who urged the Union government to address what he described as a worsening travel crisis.
In his letter to Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Bhalla warned that connectivity had reached an “alarming” state. He noted that daily flights between Imphal and Guwahati had fallen from five to two, with an identical decline on the Imphal-Kolkata sector, leaving passengers without early morning or late evening options. The disruption, he said, had proved particularly severe for students, patients and professionals who depend on reliable travel.
Bhalla underlined that Manipur, with no railway link and unpredictable road access, relies heavily on air travel as its “lifeline” for long-distance mobility. He added that soaring fares had placed an “unbearable financial burden” on the public, especially during the winter months when demand rises for education- and medical-related travel.
Following his intervention, the Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India Express conveyed their decisions to ease the pressure. Air India Express announced a fare cap of Rs 6,000 on the Imphal-Guwahati route and confirmed plans to introduce two additional flights-one to Guwahati and another to Kolkata. Raj Bhavan, in a message posted online, expressed appreciation for the “prompt response” and said more details on schedules would be issued.
Also read: Manipur govt calls airlines, AAI to curb ‘exorbitant’ fare hike
The Centre has separately approved two new flight services on the same routes, signalling coordinated efforts to strengthen the State’s connectivity. Former Chief Minister N Biren Singh also acknowledged the development, saying it followed MLA Susindro’s meeting with senior civil aviation officials in New Delhi. “Following the issue of high airfares and limited connectivity raised yesterday, and the subsequent meeting of MLA Susindro with the Secretary of Civil Aviation in Delhi, I have been informed that two new flights will be added at the earliest,” he wrote on X.
Officials indicated that the Ministry is drawing up a proposal to cap airfares at around Rs 7,000, a measure expected to offer short-term relief to passengers. Efforts are now underway to operationalise the new flights quickly, while Raj Bhavan has reiterated that it is closely monitoring the situation to ensure “effective and timely action” in the public interest.
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