GUWAHATI, March 5 : Beginning April 5, Air India (AI) will commence its twice-a-week operation from Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi (LGB) Airport here on Thursdays and Mondays with a 200-seater Airbus 310. Addressing a Press conference here this afternoon, the Air India Director (Public Relations), Jitendra Bhargava informed that at the initial two months the AI would operate international flight in Mumbai-Kolkata-Guwahati-Bangkok route at ?affordable rates? although he refused to divulge the exact rate of fares at this moment. He informed that AI in collaboration with all State Tourism departments and corporations in North Eastern States would bring out brochures and other publicity materials on various facets of Assam and other NE States to market the tourism potential of this picturesque region globally. He said all these publicity materials would be available in all AI counters all over the world by March 15 next.
As part of this initiative, AI will be screening films on Assam and other North Eastern States regularly on board all its flights. Guwahati will be the 12th point in the country in the AI operational map. It is currently operating from Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. The AI will be undertaking aggressive marketing campaign to promote its flight enroute Guwahati. In addition to offering attractive fares and special holiday packages to suit travellers with varied budgets from Guwahati to the Far East, Air India will organise familiarisation tours of journalists from the Far East, to the scenic NE region of the country.
Sri Bhargava informed that AI flights to and from Guwahati will provide convenient connectivity to the East and West. These flights to Bangkok will not only provide those wishing to travel to Thailand a direct service but also enable those travelling to Japan on business or leisure with direct connectivity on AI flights, to Tokyo on the way out and to Guwahati from Tokyo on the way in after a 24-hour halt. Packages are being worked out to ensure Japan bound passengers have a useful stay while in transit. Bangkok and Tokyo would, of course, also serve as a gateway to travel to several destinations in South East Asia and the Far East and the West coast of United States on other airlines. AI has scheduled its return flights to Mumbai on Monday evening which would not only enable passengers to complete their day?s work before emplaning, but also offer connectivity to Air India flights to London, New York, Chicago, Paris and Gulf from Mumbai.
Meanwhile, in view of launching of international flight operations from LGB airport here providing a gateway for NE States to abroad, the Government of India Tourism Department has launched a massive advertising campaign to promote tourism in these potent North Eastern States. The Air India has also requested the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to give a face-lift to the international airport in Guwahati before operation of international flights. Sri Bhargava informed that all the NE States should be given ample space in and around LGB airport to advertise tourism patential of each of the States.