Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
· Air India continues to bleed, with no respite in sight. This, after the government infused `17,320 crore of taxpayer money over the last five years.
· An ethnically, culturally, and geographically diverse region, the NE is connected with the rest of the country through a narrow corridor of approximately 21 kilometres.
· Within the NE, connectivity initiatives are underway, the most famous being the Bogibeel bridge that connects Dibrugarh to Dhemaji, supplementing the Kolia Bhomora Setu.
· However, such projects have long gestation periods, and are focused on intra-regional connectivity. Air connectivity, therefore, continues to be the fastest and most economical means.
· The government, in 2016, launched the regional connectivity scheme UDAN.
· Some of the Alliance Air flights are operated under an MoU with the North Eastern Council (NEC) and get funding support.
· Interestingly, Alliance has not turned a profit for several years, and most recent estimates peg its losses upwards of Rs 250 crore.
· The NE flights, for the most part, are loss-making due to cyclical demand, irrational cost structure, and low passenger volumes.
· In the event of a sale of Air India, any buyer will almost certainly revisit the airline network. Airports that will lose connectivity completely include Lakhimpur and Tezpur in Assam, and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.
· This poses a challenge for the government because the North East needs to be integrated with the rest of the country.
Vendhan 7 years
Tn ku
IAS Parliament 7 years
Try to explain why air connectivity is crucial and mention the challenges. Keep Writing.
Shivangi 7 years
Please review. Thank you.
IAS Parliament 7 years
Good answer. Keep Writing.
Chinna 7 years
Kindly review...thank you...
IAS Parliament 7 years
Good answer. Keep Writing.
