With over 3 lakh passengers a month, NE’s lone International Airport is yet to be connected with an Indian  international flight

Altogether 3,16,880 Air passengers have travelled to and fro Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi  International Airport, the only international airport in North-east and other cities of the country India During July, 2016.

During January, the number of air-passenger travelling to and from LGBI airport was 2,50,128.

 To and fro air passenger at LGB International Airport- July, 2016

Data show that during the month of July, no air-passenger travelled from LGBI airport to Lilabari Airport in Lakhimpur district in Assam  while 842 passengers  travelled to Guwahati from Lilabari Airport.

Among the north-eastern states, the highest number of air-passengers have travelled between Guwahati and Imphal during  July. Altogether 15,265 air-passengers have travelled from  Guwahati to Imphal , while 17,164 air –passengers have travelled from Imphal to Guwahati.

To and fro air passenger at LGB International Airport- January, 2016

During January, the number of air-passenger handled at LGB Airport was 2,50,128.  This means, there was an increase of 66,752 air-passengers in LGBI airport during this period. On an average there has been an increase of 9,536 passengers each month.

Between 2008-09 and 2014-15, number of air passengers in Assam has increased from 16,93,319 to 25,552,861. However, the average flights per day was 196 during 2008-09, which drastically came down to 83 during 2014-15.

LGB international airport has recorded and increase of average 9,536 air passengers each month between January and July this year. Yet, no Indian Airliner operates  any international flight connecting this only international airport of Northeast India- a region with 98 per cent international boundary with four neighbouring  countries.

The once a week Paro-Guwahati-Bankok international flight operated by Druk Airways of Bhutan is the only flight that connects LGB international airport with an international destination.  

Ironically policy makers in India has been  harping on northeast being the gateway to South East Asia,  while talking about implementation of  Look East/Act East policy for over two decades.

Source -

1. Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Government of India

2. Economic Survey, Assam 2015-16

Ratna Bharali Talukdar