In order to push the Act East policy, the state capitals of Tripura and Manipur may soon be connected by air with neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar under the UDAN scheme.

On Sunday Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced that flights would soon begin between Agartala and Chittagong city of Bangladesh and between Manipur capital city Imphal and Mandalay in Myanmar.

Scindia made these announcements while virtually flagging off three flights connecting five cities of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram, which will be operated by Alliance Air.

He said that Agartala-Chittagong and Imphal-Mandalay flights would expand the scope of air connectivity in the Northeastern states from national and international level.

At present, there is only one international flight operating from the Northeast, between Guwahati and Thimphu (Bhutan).

Viability gap funding is provided to the airline operators under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) to connect the unserved and underserved airports across the country. The scheme is called "Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik" (UDAN). Although the RCS was initially meant for regional connectivity, Northeastern states moved the centre with a request to expand it for air connectivity between the region and the neighbouring Southeast Asian nations to push the trade and tourism under the Act East policy.

Scindia also said that the Narendra Modi led government has given special emphasis on air connectivity for the NE region and in the last eight years, seven airports have been developed in the region.

Meanwhile, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday launched the Alliance Air Flight service of Imphal-Aizawl-Imphal through video conferencing at the Conference Hall of the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport in Imphal.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia; Minister of State for Civil Aviation Retired Gen. V. K. Singh; Minister of Law & Justice Kiren Rijiju; Chief Ministers of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh; Minister of State (Tourism for Mizoram) Robert Romawia Royte were present at the video conference of the launching programme.

Vineet Sood, CEO, Alliance Air handed over the boarding pass to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya and Minister of State for (CA) V. K. Singh.

The Civil Aviation Minister and MoS(CA) led the parallel flag-off ceremony from Assam (Lilabari-Ziro-Lilabari & Shillong-Lilabari-Shillong), Meghalaya (Shillong-Lilabari- Shillong), Manipur (Imphal-Aizawl-Imphal), Mizoram (Imphal-Aizawl-Imphal) and Arunachal Pradesh (Lilabari-Ziro-Lilabari).

Appreciating the initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Biren said that the promise made by the Prime Minister to the people of the North East has come to realization not only in connectivity but also in various sectors. "North East, the new engine of Indian growth, has now become a growth engine today", he added.

Regarding the speech of the Chief Minister of Mizoram on the isolated position of his state due to non-availability of aerial connectivity, the Manipur CM said that the long- awaited dream of the people of Manipur and Mizoram has been achieved today.

"Joining Imphal-Aizawl-Imphal five times a week will tremendously improve not only connectivity on business lines but also increase the attachment between the communities of the two states. He further added that the launching of Airlines from Assam (Lilabari) to Arunachal Pradesh under the Civil Aviation Ministry will make the North East smaller".

Apprising the problems faced by the people of the state due to the sudden drop of direct flight of Indigo on Saturday and Sunday from Imphal-Delhi-Imphal, Biren requested the Civil Aviation Minister to take up necessary steps with the concerned airlines to resume the aerial connectivity.

Minister of State for External Affairs & Education Dr R.K. Ranjan Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajoaba, State Transport minister Khasim Vashum, officials of Civil Aviation and others attended the launching programme.