Imphal-Mandalay flight service to commence from November 23

Our Correspondent Imphal, Nov. 9 (EMN): Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday announced the commencement of the Imphal-Mandalay flight service from November 23, from Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal. The flight service will be operated by Air KBZ of Myanmar twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday). Biren launched the online ticketing portal for the flight service at the Chief Minister’s secretariat in the presence of Transport Director Mercina R Panmei and officials. “The commencement of Imphal-Mandalay Flight service will take us closer to our goal of making Manipur the major hub for travel to South-East Asian Countries,” said the Transport director in a press release issued to the media. “Manipur is central to the future of India’s Act East Policy and the proposed flight service could become one of the major drivers for mainstreaming north-eastern in the Act East Policy of the country with Manipur as the gateway to South-East Asian region,” he said. Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city is emerging as a major economic hub of Myanmar. Informing that the Mandalay International Airport connects 11 domestic and 19 international destinations, he expressed with the introduction of the flight service could serve as a major transit hub for onward travel to other Southeast Asian countries. Since 2010, domestic passenger traffic through Mandalay has been increasing by 20 per cent every year, while growth in International flights has been up 60 per cent annually, he said. In the recent past, he said that the number of travellers between Manipur and Myanmar has increased manifold either for medical treatments, business or religious purposes, tourist transit route, or due to cultural ties. Imphal-Mandalay direct air route would help in further strengthen and deepen the relation between the two states, he added. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister N Biren while re-launching the helicopter service in the state on August 21, announced that the Union Civil Aviation Ministry had approved of starting international flights between Imphal and Mandalay (Myanmar). Air KBZ has already signed an understanding with the Imphal-based KB Enterprises in June last.