An Air India flight made a successful night landing at Port Blair Airport, an official statement said.

The Air India Airbus A321 with 68 passengers on board landed at INS Utkrosh on Friday evening. INS Utkrosh is under Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and it is located on the same premises of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair.

A statement issued by the Andaman and Nicobar Command said, "The aircraft left Kolkata around 5.40 pm and landed successfully in Port Blair at 7.34 pm. The aircraft proceeded towards Veer Savarkar International Terminal to disembark passengers." "This successful night landing marks a significant step towards enhancing air connectivity to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, benefiting islanders and boosting tourism. This landmark event was made possible through consistent efforts by the Indian Navy, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) over the past few years," it said.

The statement said AAl upgraded the Instrument Landing System (ILS) to CAT-I in Veer Savarkar International Airport to accommodate the anticipated increase in tourist inflow.

"Utkrosh Airfield is fully capable of handling both day and night operations. Apart from its strategic importance, these developments mark a crucial step in improving regional connectivity and strengthening the 'Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik' (UDAN) scheme," said a senior Andaman and Nicobar Command official.

He urged private airline operators to avail maximum utilisation of the night landing and takeoff facility at the Port Blair airport.

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