Itanagar’s Hollongi Airport Ready for Operations, Indigo Plans To Connect Arunachal with Delhi

Indigo on Tuesday successful conducted a test landing of an Airbus A320 Flight at soon-to-be-inaugurated Donyi Polo Airport in Itanagar.

Written by: Victor Dasgupta Edited by: Victor Dasgupta

Published: October 19, 2022, 5:05 PM IST

Share

Share Article

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• X
• Email
• Telegram
• Linkedin

https://www.india.com/news/india/itanagars-hollongi-airport-ready-for-operations-indigo-plans-to-connect-arunachal-with-delhi-vistara-airasia-airindia-spicejet-5694954/ Copy

This will be IndiGo's first destination in Arunachal Pradesh.

NEW DELHI: What can be termed as a major milestone, the national carrier Indigo on Tuesday successful conducted a test landing of an Airbus A320 Flight at soon-to-be-inaugurated Donyi Polo Airport in Itanagar. According to the reports, IndiGo is planning to launch multiple flights from there.

Taking to Twitter, the Arunachal Chief Minister – Pema Khandu wrote “Glad to share @IndiGo6E flight made a successful test landing at Donyi Polo airport, Itanagar today. A milestone moment as we’re making every possible effort to ensure ease of travel in our state. Gratitude to all for contributing their bit to improve people’s ease of life!”

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

To recall, the stone for the greenfield airport was laid in 2019. It will serve Itanagar, capital of Arunachal Pradesh, and is situated around 14 km south of the city centre.

“The critical works required for operating the airport are complete. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the airport but a date has not been fixed yet. We expect a boost for the tourism sector with the commencement of flights from this airport,” a Mint report said quoting an official.

IndiGo is likely to connect Itanagar with Guwahati and Kolkata, and there is also a possibility of a direct flight between Delhi and Itanagar in the months to come, another official said to Mint.

“NorthEast is of strategic importance to us. IndiGo remains one of the few carriers who have achieved successful expansion in the northeast over and above merely adding service because of Route Dispersal Guidelines mandates,” Abhijit DasGupta, head of network planning at IndiGo, told Mint.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY DETAILS OF DONYI POLO AIRPORT:

1. The Donyi Polo Airport in Hollongi is 15 km away from Itanagar
2. Developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) the much-awaited airport is said to be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 645 crore
3. The proposed airport is designed to accommodate A-320 aircraft
4. The airport will have a 500-meter runway expansion, for accommodating A-321 aircraft in the future.
5. The Airport’s terminal structure, which spans 4100 square metres
6. The airport will be able to accommodate 200 people during peak hours
7. Donyi Polo Airport will include eight check-in counters with all modern passenger amenities.
8. The plan developed as an energy-efficient structure with a rainwater harvesting system and a long-term landscape plan is a part of the sustainable infrastructure development plan.
9. The ATC Tower, Technical Block, Fire Station, Medical Center, and other auxiliary works are all part of the development project.