Sushmita Dev urges TATA to revoke Air India’s exit from Silchar, ending 70 years of service

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has written to TATA Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, expressing deep concern over Air India’s decision to suspend flights to and from Silchar Airport starting June 1, 2025.

Highlighting the airline's nearly 70 years of service in Assam’s Barak Valley, Dev warned that the move would severely impact over 40 lakh residents across Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi districts, especially medical patients and business travellers.

She emphasised that during monsoons, air connectivity remains the region’s only lifeline as roads and railways often become inaccessible. 

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The suspension, she argued, contradicts the Centre’s push for a Greenfield Airport in Cachar and undermines the goals of the UDAN scheme for regional connectivity.

Dev urged TATA Sons to reconsider the decision in the interest of the region’s accessibility and economic growth.