GUWAHATI, July 3 ? Uncertainty has hit travel plans of many prospective Bangkok going tourists from this part of the country in view of the repeated cancellation of both ways flights in Mumbai-Kolkata-Guwahati-Bangkok route. Sources informed that there was virtually no operation of the Bangkok flight to and from Guwahati since the beginning of June this year till date causing hardship to travellers besides adding to the loss of Air India.
Although about 75 Bangkok bound tourists were waiting to catch the Bangkok flight from here tomorrow (Thursday), the Air India once again cancelled it citing technical reasons. The passengers were transhipped through an Indian Airlines flight today from Guwahati to Kolkata where they would be boarded on the next available flight to Bangkok much to their chagrin. Sources in the Air India informed that as on today the next flight to Bangkok from Guwahati on Thursday was on, but going by the recent track record of AI operation one never knows when the cancellation notice comes through from the AI headquarter.
The Air India has been consistently citing only one reason for cancellation of flights in Mumbai-Kolkata-Guwahati-Bangkok route, that is the aircraft is being subjected to the routine overhauling. The local AI office had been informed that the operation of the Bangkok flight would be restored to normal from July, but on the contrary the first Bangkok-bound flight this month now stands cancelled. Sources informed that there had been no dearth of Bangkok-bound passengers from Guwahati which might have called for flight cancellation. Instead the Air India is losing money for repeated cancellation of flights as prospective travellers have resorted to cancellation of tickets in view of uncertaintly prevailing over operation of Bangkok flight to and from Guwahati.
The travel agents in the city who were ready with suitable tour packages expecting an on rush of travellers to Bangkok with the summer vacation beginning in education institutions in the State, are now a dejected lot as they are forced to entertain more requests for cancellation of tickets than for booking. Meanwhile, the repeated cancellation of flights have raised doubts over Air India?s intention of continue with the Bangkok flight from here. A section of the travel agents in the city suspects that a vested lobby outside the North East was working overtime to ground the region?s ?flight of fancy.?