Two days after
FlyBig Airlines announced it was temporarily suspending its operations across
the Northeast, the regional carrier said on November 17 a 19-seater aircraft
will be deployed on the routes connecting Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
“FlyBig Airlines
has taken a decisive step to keep essential aerial services running for
Arunachal Pradesh’s residents by deploying 19-seater Twin Otter aircraft on the
disrupted routes connecting Tezu and Hollongi with Guwahati and Rupsi,” said the
airline.
“This provisional
action is implemented to fill the void until a new aircraft is obtained, with
the aim to return to regular service by the first week of January 2024.”
FlyBig connects
tier-II cities and offers services on routes secured under the Centre’s UDAN
regional aviation scheme.
The airline had
started flights between Hollongi and Guwahati earlier this year. After the
launch of this service, the State Government stopped the chopper service
between Naharlagun and Guwahati.
With the
suspension of both the chopper and flight services, flyers, especially those
awaiting treatment, found themselves stranded.
The airline’s
aircraft are undergoing maintenance in Kolkata and Hyderabad and as a result,
services connecting Hollongi-Guwahati, Guwahati-Pasighat, and Guwahati-Tezu
have been suspended till January 2024.
The company had to
pause operations due to engine component supply chain problems, FlyBig CEO
Sanjay Mandavia said, adding efforts were on to address the issues and return
the service to normal.
Airline CFO Gokul
Indani told the Hindu Business Line that FlyBig decided to surrender the ATR
(Avions de Transport Régional) aircraft due to technical issues.
“We were expecting
the delivery of bigger aircraft and had hoped to put them into service,
especially in the Hollongi-Guwahati sector… But unfortunately, we have not
received the aircraft, and our existing aircraft are undergoing major
maintenance,” an Arunachal Times report quoted a FlyBig official as saying.
The airline has
assured that it is “actively engaged with relevant authorities, including the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to navigate the current
operational challenges.”
Passengers have
been told to reach out to FlyBig Airlines’ customer support for assistance with
rescheduling, refunds, and any other inquiries.
Agency
