A regular chartered passenger ferry flight service between Imphal and Mandalay is likely to introduce before the upcoming Sangai Festival Scheduled on November this year.An official source said, all necessary formalities for the chartered passenger ferry service has been completed and submitted to the Director General of Civil Aviation. Manipur based tour and travel Agency – KB Enterprises and Golden Airlines, Myanmar had initiated the proposal for introduction of the chartered passenger ferry flight as an interim arrangement until the Scheduled international commercial flights take over in due course.Manipur chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is dead-serious about the matter and personally wrote to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati for granting of permission to begin the flight service. Mention may be made that, Imphal Airport has been recently upgraded to the status of International airport on November last year and the first International flight was landed at Imphal on November 21, 2013, carrying passenger from Mandalay, Myanmar in connection with the Sangai Festival.In his letter to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi wrote that the landing of the first International flight at Imphal airport was arranged by KB Enterprises, a tour and Travel Agency based in Manipur in coordination with Golden Airlines, Myanmar with the support and approval of Ministry of Civil Aviation.The said KB Enterprises had reportedly approached the State government to allow international passenger Ferry chartered flight from Mandalay to Imphal in partnership with the Golden Airlines, Myanmar.In his letter to the Civil aviation Minister, the Chief Minister stated that the state government would like to support and encourage the proposal from the local enterprise to bring international flights from Myanmar to Imphal to popularise Imphal as an International destination for tourists.Chief Secretary of the government of Manipur PC Lawmkunga has also wrote to V. Somasundaran, Secretary, Civil Aviation, Govt. of India requesting the Ministry of Civil Aviation for early clearance and approval of the said chartered flight service on September4.
IMAGE COURTESY: e-pao.net
