Several airlines were operating special flights from Imphal to help people stranded in violence-hit Manipur return home, officials said on Monday, maintaining that this resulted in airfares on the route not rocketing out of control despite the massive jump in demand.
Regional carrier Flybig said it operates a Guhahati to Imphal flight via Tezu six days a week. But, since Saturday it has operated three additional flights between Imphal and Guwahati, on which people from Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Maharashtra returned from Imphal.
“A total of 150 passengers were brought back from Imphal to Guwahati over the three days. On Saturday, people from Arunachal Pradesh were brought back, while people of Meghalaya came on Sunday, and a group from Maharashtra were brought to Guwahati on Monday,” Flybig’s director of corporate affairs Ajay Jasra told PTI.
“Flybig operates under the UDAN scheme, and our average fare from Imphal to Guwahati is Rs 3,500. There is no question of charging more from distressed passengers,” he said.