In mid-2025, Air India suspended its flight operations from Silchar Airport (Kumbhirgram), severing a historic 70-year link that began in 1955. This abrupt exit has left over 6.5 million residents across the Barak Valley (Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi), Dima Hasao, and neighboring areas of Mizoram, Tripura, and Manipur with severely restricted air connectivity. 

In southern Assam, air travel is an essential public lifeline rather than a luxury. Monsoon landslides and floods frequently cut off rail and highway connections, leaving air transport as the only reliable passage for emergency medical transfers, higher education commuters, and essential commerce. 

Why Urgent Intervention Is Required:

• Fare Surges & Reduced Capacity: Handling over 480,000 passengers annually, Silchar Airport now relies almost exclusively on one primary commercial carrier, leading to sky-high ticket prices during peak travel and monsoon seasons.
• Proven Sector Viability: The Kolkata–Silchar and Guwahati–Silchar routes consistently achieved strong seat load factors (averaging 80%+), proving that year-round passenger demand is not an issue.
• A Ready Low-Cost Carrier Alternative: If mainline Air India fleet allocation is constrained, deploying Air India Express under regional connectivity frameworks offers an immediate, commercially sustainable win-win for both the airline and the public.

We request the management of Air India Limited, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to re-evaluate route economics and reinstate flight operations at Silchar Airport (IXS) without delay.