LUCKNOW, Jan 02 – Air connectivity in North East is all set for a grand takeoff, with some of the major airlines making a beeline to start small aircraft service in the region. The latest to jump into the bandwagon is Air Sahara. With the Civil Aviation Ministry and the north eastern States gearing up to make operational airports in farflung State capitals and smaller towns, North East has suddenly become the most happening destination among air operators. Of particular interest are the concessions expected to the dolled out by both the Centre and the State Governments to attract the airlines to start operations in the region.
A reduction in surcharges including Sales Tax on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) being given to the Alliance Air, which is expected to start, operating four 50-seater aircraft in the region in the coming months, has struck the right note with the operators. Air travel in the North East has been handicapped by the lack of proper infrastructure facilities including unavailability of small aircrafts and air connectivity over the years have decreased drastically as services to majority of the stations have been discontinued as it was found to be economically unfeasible for operation by large aircrafts. The answer to resolving the impasse, according to the Task Force appointed by the Civil Aviation Ministry is in introducing smaller aircrafts, and after much debate and discussion with the Indian Airlines, the Civil Aviation Ministry directed the Alliance Air to procure six 50-seater ATR aircrafts from France.
Now with Alliance Air expected to shortly hit radar screens in the North East, Air Sahara is likely to follow suit. Divulging this, managing worker and chairman of the Sahara Group, Subrata Roy, said Air Sahara is planning to induct small jets in its fleet. At least twelve 50-seater aircrafts are to be added, he said. The chairman, who was addressing a press conference, here yesterday, to mark the completion of 25 years of his group, said new corridors and many new destinations would be serviced by Air Sahara in the region. Air Sahara currently, flies to a select number of two cities of Guwahati and Dibrugarh in Assam connecting them with New Delhi. The chairman asserting that the airline has aggressive plans for the future, said that by the end of the year 12 regional jets are being planned to be inducted with an operation of 155 flights per day, connecting 32 stations. Three new generation aircrafts have this week joined its fleet of nine Boeings.
Meanwhile, to mark the silver jubilee year of the group, the chairman announced a host of future plans and expansion of various divisions. Roy claimed that its saving venture, Sahara Para-banking has grown to be the country’s top public mobilisation company in the private sector with depositor base of 3.2 crore. Meanwhile, Sahara is starting a round-the-clock news channels including one national and 37 regional news channels covering Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Mumbai and Delhi. The group is launching a 60-page weekly news magazine on broadsheet – Sahara Samay in Hindi with 32 editions and an English edition Sahara Times which would be an all-India edition to be published from Mumbai and Delhi.
The group also has plans to make forays into filmmaking and tourism ventures. The Sahara India Media Communications Limited is producing a full-length feature film on the life of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. The film is to be directed by noted filmmaker, Shyam Benegal. The group plans to promote Sundar Ban Project spread over 36,000 square km of water area. The plan, the chairman revealed is to develop five Virgin Islands located around the world’s largest delta into a world-class tourist destination. The group, by the end of the year, also proposes to have 6000 online connected branches emerging as the fourth VSAT network in the world, Roy claimed, adding that this extensive network would offer various services including financial consumer products, messaging. Video conferencing, ATMs, debits cards, online railway and air ticketing among others.