<p> After a gap of about three years, flight services resumed from the Union Territory, with launch of services between Puducherry and Hyderabad this morning.<br /><br />Chief Minister V Narayanasamy accorded a warm reception to passengers on their arrival at Puducherry airport in neighbouring Lawspet by private carrier Spicejet.<br /><br />He had earlier inaugurated the daily flight service by lighting the traditional lamp on the premises of the airport linking Puducherry with Hyderabad and Vijayawada.<br /><br />Narayanasamy handed over to each of the 78 passengers boarding passes for the newly introduced service to Hyderabad.<br /><br />Accompanied by his cabinet colleagues, Chief Secretary Manoj Parida, Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and legislators belonging to the ruling Congress and DMK and AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP N Gokulakrishnan, the Chief Minister presented gift hampers and garlands when 74 passengers landed at the airport.<br /><br />Flight services were resumed following an agreement inked between Spicejet and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to operate daily flight services from here to Hyderabad and Vijayawada<br />Later, Narayanasamy told reporters that Spicejet had come forward to operate the scheme under the centrally- sponsored UDAN scheme for regional air connectivity.<br /><br />He said that with the introduction of flight services, passengers proceeding to Hyderabad would be saved the trouble of a tedious journey if they preferred to go by road or by proceeding to Chennai for a connecting flight.<br /><br />"We have brought into effect flight services overcoming several hurdles," he said without elaborating.<br /><br />"The resumption of flight services is in keeping with the arrangements the Union Civil Aviation Ministry had made.<br /><br />The purpose for resumption of air service is to promote tourism and to attract businessmen and investors to Puducherry, the Chief Minister said.<br /><br />The previous AINRC regime had not initiated full-fledged steps to utilise the airport here, he alleged.<br />Expansion of the runway would be taken up as soon as land sought from neighbouring Tamil Nadu was available, he added.<br /><br />Further, the Chief Minister said that flight services from Puducherry to Bengaluru, Kochi, Tirupati and Coimbatore would be started soon.<br /><br />"We also have proposal to link Puducherry with New Delhi," he added.<br />"Similarly, the government's initiative to develop Puducherry port as a satellite port of Chennai Port Trust is also a centrally-sponsored project. Dredging of the estuary for navigation of vessels has been completed," Narayanasamy said.<br /><br />He said the port's development was intended to promote employment opportunities and for cargo transactions to enhance the state government's revenues.<br /><br />The daily flight from Hyderabad would arrive in Puducherry at 11.20 a.m. In the return direction, it would depart from here at 11.40 a.m and reach Hyderabad at 1.10 p.m.</p>
<p> After a gap of about three years, flight services resumed from the Union Territory, with launch of services between Puducherry and Hyderabad this morning.<br /><br />Chief Minister V Narayanasamy accorded a warm reception to passengers on their arrival at Puducherry airport in neighbouring Lawspet by private carrier Spicejet.<br /><br />He had earlier inaugurated the daily flight service by lighting the traditional lamp on the premises of the airport linking Puducherry with Hyderabad and Vijayawada.<br /><br />Narayanasamy handed over to each of the 78 passengers boarding passes for the newly introduced service to Hyderabad.<br /><br />Accompanied by his cabinet colleagues, Chief Secretary Manoj Parida, Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and legislators belonging to the ruling Congress and DMK and AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP N Gokulakrishnan, the Chief Minister presented gift hampers and garlands when 74 passengers landed at the airport.<br /><br />Flight services were resumed following an agreement inked between Spicejet and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to operate daily flight services from here to Hyderabad and Vijayawada<br />Later, Narayanasamy told reporters that Spicejet had come forward to operate the scheme under the centrally- sponsored UDAN scheme for regional air connectivity.<br /><br />He said that with the introduction of flight services, passengers proceeding to Hyderabad would be saved the trouble of a tedious journey if they preferred to go by road or by proceeding to Chennai for a connecting flight.<br /><br />"We have brought into effect flight services overcoming several hurdles," he said without elaborating.<br /><br />"The resumption of flight services is in keeping with the arrangements the Union Civil Aviation Ministry had made.<br /><br />The purpose for resumption of air service is to promote tourism and to attract businessmen and investors to Puducherry, the Chief Minister said.<br /><br />The previous AINRC regime had not initiated full-fledged steps to utilise the airport here, he alleged.<br />Expansion of the runway would be taken up as soon as land sought from neighbouring Tamil Nadu was available, he added.<br /><br />Further, the Chief Minister said that flight services from Puducherry to Bengaluru, Kochi, Tirupati and Coimbatore would be started soon.<br /><br />"We also have proposal to link Puducherry with New Delhi," he added.<br />"Similarly, the government's initiative to develop Puducherry port as a satellite port of Chennai Port Trust is also a centrally-sponsored project. Dredging of the estuary for navigation of vessels has been completed," Narayanasamy said.<br /><br />He said the port's development was intended to promote employment opportunities and for cargo transactions to enhance the state government's revenues.<br /><br />The daily flight from Hyderabad would arrive in Puducherry at 11.20 a.m. In the return direction, it would depart from here at 11.40 a.m and reach Hyderabad at 1.10 p.m.</p>