ITANAGAR: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday said that the Central government has assured three more airports in Arunachal Pradesh – one at Dirang in West Kameng, second at Anini in Dibang Valley and a third in Upper Subansiri district.
Khandu said the assurance to establish the airports was given by Union Civil Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in a meeting held in New Delhi earlier this month.
The chief minister who was addressing a flagging off ceremony of the first scheduled flight of Flybig Airlines from Tezu airport in Lohit district to Guwahati said “the process of land acquisition is under process and once done, these will be handed over to the aviation ministry free of cost.”
“Once the Hollongi airport is complete and with others coming up in the future, the very face of Arunachal Pradesh will change,” Khandu said.
Arunachal at present has two airports – one at Tezu in Lohit district and the other at Pasighat in East Siang. The Greenfield Airport at Hollongi near Itanagar is scheduled to be completed by August next year.
The state also has advanced landing grounds (ALGs) in Vijaynagar (Changlang), Mechuka (Shi-Yomi), Walong (Anjaw), Tuting (Upper Siang), Ziro (Lower Subansiri) and Tawang (Tawang).
