Amid crisis, FlyBig to operate 19-seater aircraft between Arunachal and Assam

Guwahati: FlyBig Airlines said on Friday that the airline will operate a 19-seater aircraft 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,” the airline said in a statement.

“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,” it added.

The FlyBig announcement comes two days after the Airlines announced it was temporarily suspending its operations across the Northeast.

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 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.