A private airline operating a flight between Cooch Behar and Kolkata for the past few months has decided to run the service on all days of the week starting June 4.
In February, IndiaOne Air, an Ahmedabad-based private airline, introduced a nine-seater aircraft on the route. Initially, the service was available five days a week, Monday to Friday. From April, the service was extended to Saturdays.
“So far, the flight service was available six days a week, barring Sunday. With a steady flow of fliers, the airline decided to run the flight on all seven days. It is a positive development for Cooch Behar,” said Pawan Kadyan, district magistrate of Cooch Behar.
The flight takes around an hour and 50 minutes. The fare is around Rs 4,000.
The decision to run the flight on all days of the week has been welcomed by Cooch Behar residents, who feel if the demand remains steady, more regional airlines might start services.
“Earlier, some private airlines had discontinued services from Cooch Behar because of lack of passengers. When this flight was introduced, we were uncertain whether it would continue,” said Biplab Saha, a schoolteacher in Cooch Behar.
Residents want a similar flight to be introduced between Cooch Behar and Guwahati. Located on the Bengal-Assam border, Cooch Behar has trade links with Assam.