Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 12 March 2025
A delegation of the Andaman Nicobar Chamber of Commerce & Industry, led by Mr. K. Chandrasekharan, President, along with other senior members, called on Admiral D. K. Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Hon’ble Lt. Governor of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Vice-Chairman of the Islands Development Agency, on March 11, 2025, at Raj Niwas.
The discussion focused on the operation of international flights, particularly in light of a 41% increase in tourist arrivals over the previous year. The delegation emphasized the need to incentivize and expand direct air connectivity by securing subsidies and rebates. Key proposals included a waiver on landing charges from the Ministry of Defence and concessions on Route Navigation and Facilitation Charges (RNFC), Terminal Navigation Landing Charges (TNLC), and User Development Fees (UDF) from the Airport Authority of India.
The route is expected to gain traction in the medium to long term as a global island tourism destination and a strategic airline hub among the Bay of Bengal Rim countries and the Indo-Pacific Region.