First direct flight from Silchar to Chennai took off with 162 passengers, had landed with 22

Low-cost airline headquartered in Gurgaon Haryana, SpiceJet started its direct flight from Silchar to Chennai today. The airlines had announced earlier that the service will be available four days a week.

The scheduled time of arrival of the flight from Chennai to Silchar on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday is 9:30 am and the scheduled time of departure is 10:00 am on the same days. It will reach Chennai at 1:00 pm while the morning journey from MAA airport will begin at 6:25 am.

As announced, the flight landed at Kumbirgram Airport in Silchar at 9:15. The flight and the passengers were accorded a grand welcome by the officials at the airport. According to the available information, the flight landed at Silchar with 21 passengers and took off with 162 passengers filling most of its 180 seats.

21 is a far lower number than what an airline expects, feel the experts here. However, the second wave of Covid infections had hit Barak Valley in April and the residents of the valley are still dealing with the wave and post-Covid complications. Tourism has taken a hit as it did in the rest of the country. “As more people travel for Medical tourism, the number of incoming passengers will rise,” said an expert in the local aviation industry.

Moreover, as it is not a flight via Kolkata, which is the traditional route, the number of incoming passengers will always depend on the number of outgoing passengers. “The 162 who boarded today, most of them will return using the same flight, which is an encouraging sign,” another expert added.

Chennai is an important destination considering a large number of patients travel to Apollo Hospitals and Christian Medical College Vellore for treatment. They are asked to travel for follow-ups too. Apart from Medical tourism, the route is also used by pilgrims/tourists who travel to the South. Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Meenakshi Temple, Indian Ocean, Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial are very famous among the population in Barak Valley. Then there are colleges like the Sathyabama University, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute which are common destinations for students of this valley. “Overall, things will improve as we go ahead. We will have to always look at the numbers keeping Covid in the back of our mind,” added the expert.

The Indian aviation industry is going through its toughest times. The air traffic has dropped manifold and the country’s tourism hotspots are yet to open as the states fear those could turn to viral vectors. SpiceJet is the second-largest player in the market with around 15% market share, behind market leader Indigo Airlines which enjoys 60% market share. Both carriers have a presence in Silchar and the fate of the Silchar – Chennai SpiceJet flight will be decided in the next few days depending on the traffic.