Port Blair, Feb 17: The chartered flight on Kolkata-Port Blair-Kolkata sector will now be operated on every Thursdays instead of Fridays due to operational constraints, as the crew for operation of this flight on Fridays were not available as conveyed by the Air India Head Office to the Secretary (Civil Aviation), Mr N.K.Sharma. The things have been sorted out and necessary clearances have been given for operation of this chartered flight on Kolkata-Port Blair sector on every Thursdays w.e.f Feb 25, 2016. As per the fresh schedule, Air India will operate weekly one charter flight on every Thursdays with 144 seater Airbus aircraft from 25th February, 2016 during night hours.
Accordingly, the Air India flight AI 3707 will depart from Kolkata at 9 pm and reach Port Blair at 11 pm. On its return, the flight AI 3708 will depart from Port Blair at 11.40 pm to reach Kolkata at 01.40 am. Initially, advance ticketing will be done for the flights scheduled upto March, 2016. Accordingly, advance tickets for Feb 25 flight will be booked, while advance ticketing for the flights on March 3, March 10, March 17, March 24 and March 31, 2016 will be available.
Passengers intending to travel from Port Blair to Kolkata and from Kolkata to Port Blair on rhe flights can book their tickets in advance at the Inter-Island Helicopter terminal, VIP Road, Port Blair between 9 am to 4 pm on all working days from Feb 18 onwards. Tickets for sector Kolkata to Port Blair can also be booked at the office of the Dy. Resident Commissioner, Andaman & Nicobar Bhawan, No. 7, D.P. Block, Sector 5, Salt Lake, Kolkata- 91 between 10 am to 4 pm.
Passengers have been requested to submit their requisition in the prescribed format available on website www.and.nic.in. Only one ticket will be issued per applicant. However, in case of family, a maximum of 4 tickets will be issued per application.
As per the quota arrangement, 115 seats will be available for islanders of the total seating capacity of 144. Of the 115, 60 will be available in the general quota to be issued from counter in advance, 15 in the administration’s quota, 30 for the residents of the North and Middle Andaman region and 10 for the Nicobar district. 29 seats will be available in the chartered flight for the non-islanders.
The ticket cost per passenger for one way between Kolkata and Port Blair will be Rs 5000/- for a one-way ticket on production of Islander card/Local certificate and for employee of Central Govt/PSUs/Defence personnel posted in A & N Islands on production of certificate issued by HoD/Head of office, while the ticket for non-islanders will cost Rs 9000/- for a one-way trip. The reservation will be done on first come first serve basis by the respective reservation offices in Kolkata and Port Blair.
The Islanders belonging to the Nicobar and N & M Andaman District may apply in the prescribed format to the respective Deputy Commissioner’s Office. No refund will be allowed for cancellation of tickets, if there is no demand for the cancelled seat and it goes unoccupied due to cancellation. However, 20% cancellation charges will be recovered otherwise, a release from the Directorate of Civil Aviation says.
