Imphal, Jan 15 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh noted that due to the ethnic crisis, people are unable to use the highways to travel outside the state but the high airfares are a big burden on them.

Launching the additional flight services of Alliance Air at the Imphal International Airport, the Chief Minister said that Manipur has been passing through a difficult time and the people are unable to use the highways for travel outside the state because of the ethnic crisis.

"Lakhs of people of the state are travelling by air and the high fare of air tickets has significantly affected the common people of the state,' he added.

As Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu attended the event from Delhi through video conferencing, Biren Singh urged him to constitute a team to examine the pricing of air tickets.

He also requested the provision of more frequent flights directly connecting Imphal with major cities such as Kolkata, New Delhi, and Bengaluru.

Appreciating the CEO of Alliance Air for taking up such an initiative during this difficult period, the Chief Minister launched its additional flight services on three routes -- Imphal-Guwahati-Imphal, Imphal-Kolkata-Imphal, Imphal-Dimapur-Imphal -- under viability gap funding.

Biren Singh expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Civil Aviation Minister for providing additional flight services of Alliance Air in Manipur.

Union Minister Naidu stated that the inauguration of these new flights would bring the state closer to the rest of the country. The new routes would enhance trade, travel and tourism in the state and also provide employment, boosting the economy and empowering the people of the State, he added.

Addressing the function, Transport Minister Khashim Vashum stated that the introduction of new routes would improve connectivity between people. This initiative would create new opportunities for travellers visiting the state and boost its economic activities, he added. Officials said that air tickets would be offered at a subsidised rate twice a week on these new flight routes.

/IANS