Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Feb 26: The need for a reliable air transport service connecting Port Blair and Car Nicobar has been a long-standing demand of the residents of the Nicobar district. The discontinuation of the flight service between these two destinations over the years has caused immense inconvenience to the local population.
The flight service was started during the tenure of former Lt. Governor of A & N Islands, Lt. Gen A K Singh (Retd.). It may be recalled that earlier the Alliance Air Limited – a subsidiary of Air India lazed to operate a 70 seater CRJ-700 type aircraft on the Port Blair and Car Nicobar route, once a week from 24th July 2014, which was later on discontinued on August, 2016 due to the withdrawal of the CRJ type aircraft from Alliance Air’s fleet.
The people of Car Nicobar Island and government servants, in particular, have been the most affected by the lack of air transport. The discontinuation of the flight service has forced them to rely only on, which is unreliable and also time-consuming. Another alternative is the helicopter service is far beyond the reach of the common man, most of the time.
The importance of a faster mode of transport between Port Blair and Car Nicobar cannot be overstated. The flight service that was operational earlier proved to be immensely helpful for students and patients who needed to travel to Port Blair for various reasons.
The lack of employment opportunities in the Nicobar district has been a major concern for the local population. The resumption of the flight service between Port Blair and Car Nicobar has the potential to create new avenues of employment for the residents, thereby positively impacting the socio-economic development of the area.
The demand for the resumption of the flight service has been growing among the local population, with many raising their voice for the same. The people of the Nicobar district infact believe that the provision of bigger aircraft will enable them to directly fly to the mainland, without the need to halt at Port Blair for weeks, which incurs huge expenditure.
“Every time we demand for resumption of flight service the answer is unavailability of CRJ-700 type aircraft. Why do we require only CRJ-700 type aircraft? Any aircraft landing at Port Blair can be permitted to make an additional sortie to Car Nicobar once or twice a week after talking to the concerned Airlines company and taking all due permission. The Car Nicobar Air Force base is well equipped for landing of bigger Aircraft,” said a resident of Car Nicobar.
Infact such connectivity will give immense confidence to thousands of Government servants working at Nicobar District and they will be able to serve the Islands better, knowing that in case of emergency they can reach their family at Port Blair in no time.
It is high time that the government takes note of the demand of the people of Nicobar district for a reliable air transport service and takes necessary steps to resume the service. The benefits of such a service are far-reaching, extending beyond mere convenience, and have the potential to positively impact the socio-economic development of the area.
The demand for the resumption of the flight service between Port Blair and Car Nicobar is a much-needed initiative, and it is time for the government to act on it. The people of Nicobar district have been waiting for this service for a long time, and its resumption will be a crucial step towards ensuring their connectivity and socio-economic development.
Recently during a meeting with tribal leaders at Port Blair, the Home Minister of India has reportedly assured to pay special focus to Nicobar District, hope this issue will be taken up by the Tribal Council of Car Nicobar directly with the Home Minister in coming days.
