Enhanced air connectivity to increase tourist footfall in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are likely to witness an increase in tourist footfall as the region enhanced its air connectivity with a recent Air India Flight making a successful night landing at Port Blair Airport.

The Air India Airbus A321 with 68 passengers on board landed at INS Utkrosh on June 28. INS Utkrosh is under Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and it is located on the same premises as Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair.

A statement issued by the Andaman and Nicobar Command said, "This successful night landing marks a significant step towards enhancing air connectivity to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, benefiting islanders and boosting tourism. This landmark event was made possible through consistent efforts by the Indian Navy, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) over the past few years," it said.

The AAI upgraded the Instrument Landing System (ILS) to CAT-I in Veer Savarkar International Airport to include the expected rise in tourist arrivals.

"Utkrosh Airfield is fully capable of handling both day and night operations. Apart from its strategic importance, these developments mark a crucial step in improving regional connectivity and strengthening the 'Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik' (UDAN) scheme," said a senior Andaman and Nicobar Command official.

The official urged private airline operators to avail maximum utilization of the night landing and takeoff facility at the Port Blair airport.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian international low-cost airline AirAsia is expected to start operations from Kuala Lumpur to Port Blair from November 2024 which can significantly bring in international tourists to the scenic islands.

Currently, the Veer Savarkar International Airport does not handle any international flights.