Travelers between Guwahati and Silchar may soon get benefit from early morning and night Guwahati-Silchar flight , as the government considers expanding air connectivity between the two cities.
Kaushik Rai, Minister of Barak Valley Development, shared this update during the 124th Annual General Meeting of the Surma Valley Branch of the Indian Tea Association in Silchar.
Minister Kausik Rai stated, “The road network between Barak Valley and Guwahati often faces disruptions, especially during the monsoon. While efforts are being made to improve road infrastructure, better air connectivity is also essential. Currently, only one afternoon flight operates between Silchar and Guwahati, but we are hopeful that night and early morning flights will be introduced soon.”
At present, only one 180-seater flight runs daily between the two cities, arriving at 1:45 PM and departing at 2:15 PM. Although night landing facilities were introduced in 2009, civilian flight operations were initially allowed only until 6 PM. In 2017, the Ministry of Defence extended the watch hours to 8 PM, a policy that remains in place.
In a positive move, the Ministry of Home Affairs has approved additional CISF deployment at Silchar Airport to facilitate night operations. However, a lack of accommodation for the security personnel has delayed implementation. According to a senior AAI official, multiple tenders were issued for building accommodation, but they received no responses. A new tender has now been posted on the Government-e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, and officials are hopeful for a solution soon.
Apart from air travel improvements, Minister Rai also assured that the much-awaited Silchar-Saurashtra East-West Corridor project is progressing well and is expected to be completed by January 2026.
