Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 07 December 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, called on Mr. Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Hon’ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, in New Delhi on 4 December 2025 to press for expedited action on key civil aviation concerns affecting the island residents.
During the meeting, the MP reiterated three major pending issues earlier submitted to the Ministry:
- Introduction of a direct flight between Sri Vijayapuram (Port Blair) and Madurai to improve regional connectivity, tourism, and medical travel.
- Regulation of soaring airfares on routes connecting Sri Vijaya Puram with major mainland cities including Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, and Delhi, especially during peak travel periods.
- Provision of air stretcher/air ambulance services for emergency medical evacuation of critical patients to mainland hospitals.
Highlighting the geographical isolation of the islands and the difficulties faced by the public, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray urged the Minister to take personal interest in ensuring swift redressal. The Hon’ble Minister assured the MP that the issues would be duly examined.
The MP also extended a formal invitation to the Civil Aviation Minister to visit the Andaman & Nicobar Islands for the upcoming event, “Andaman Dialogues – Reimagining the Island Economy under the Viksit Bharat Vision,” proposed for February 2025.
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray thanked the Minister for the positive interaction and expressed hope that his visit would further accelerate the development agenda under the Viksit Bharat initiative.
