Tata's Air India Pulls Out Full-Service from Imphal
- Air India has discontinued its full-service flights from Imphal Airport.
- Air India Express, the low-cost subsidiary, will continue operations.
- The move is part of Tata Group’s strategy to streamline services at smaller airports.
After discontinuing its full-service carrier operations in Agartala, Air India has now ceased similar operations from Imphal’s Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, effective Sunday. The move is part of a strategic reshuffle by the Tata Group-owned airline, focusing more on its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express.
A senior official from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) confirmed that while Air India has stopped its premium services from Imphal, Air India Express will maintain connectivity with its Boeing 737 fleet. “The full-service exit is a part of the airline’s long-term restructuring plan post its acquisition by the Tata Group in January 2022”, the official said.
The airline earlier withdrew its full-service carrier from Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport around three months ago. MBB Airport is the second busiest in the Northeast after Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport.
Despite these changes, the AAI reassured that air connectivity in the region remains intact with Air India Express continuing operations. Imphal, along with Guwahati, holds international airport status and plays a crucial role in the region’s aviation network.
Currently, the Northeast boasts 17 operational airports, including key ones in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Sikkim, reflecting growing infrastructure in the region.
The AAI emphasized that the shift from full-service to low-cost models aligns with broader efforts to optimize operations in smaller domestic airports while ensuring uninterrupted connectivity.
