‘Air Travel Is Only Dependable Mode’: Manipur Governor Seeks Centre’s Help Over Shrinking Flight Operations

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu seeking urgent intervention over flight connectivity to the state capital Imphal. In his letter dated Oct. 30, Bhalla highlighted the challenges due to the “drastic reduction” in flights, which has “adversely affected the mobility, causing immense hardship” to the people of Manipur.

“Until recently, there were five daily flights operating between Imphal and Guwahati. This number has now been reduced to only two, with no early morning and no late evening departure options. Similarly, flights to Kolkata have dropped from five to just two….,” the Governor highlighted, describing this sharp decline as alarming.

He stressed that the reduction in air services has significantly affected mobility and daily life, especially given Manipur’s unique geographical and infrastructural challenges.

“The state lacks railway connectivity….road travel remains unreliable, particularly after recent rainfalls and floods…Air travel is the only dependable mode of long-distance transportation for residents, students and patients,” Bhalla added in his letter.

He urged immediate intervention, noting that winter is a crucial travel season when students return home and many residents seek medical care in metro cities. With fewer flights, availability has dropped and fares have skyrocketed, making travel difficult.

“This disruption in the demand-supply chain is leading to very high airfares and a breakdown in essential connectivity. If not addressed urgently, it will create resentment among the people. I humbly request your personal intervention in the matter to restore and enhance flight operations to and from Imphal, especially to key hubs like Guwahati and Kolkata,” the letter further read.

The concerns were raised by the Governor as Manipur continues to face geographical challenges amid ongoing hill-valley ethnic strife. The state's only major airport, Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, lies in the valley in Imphal, while highways run through the hills. Valley residents rely solely on air travel, while hill communities depend on roads, with no airport access.

Certain travel booking platforms showed that flights between Imphal and Guwahati or Imphal and Kolkata, despite being of shorter duration, appeared costlier compared to flights to Delhi. For instance, on MakeMyTrip, the Imphal-Kolkata flights on Nov. 15 were priced at Rs 11,500 to Rs 12,000. Meanwhile, the Imphal-Delhi flights were priced at under Rs 10,000.