⇒ The Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and the Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the first Flying Training Organization (FTO) for North Eastern Region in Lilabari, Assam on 12 April 2022.
- M/s Redbird Aviation has won the right to establish the FTO at Lilabari.
» Lilabari is amongst nine FTOs to be established in five airports in India by June 2022 includes Belagavi and Kalaburagi in Karnataka, Jalgaon in Maharashtra and Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.
Addressing the event, Shri Scindia said, we have decided to open up 9 new FTOs by this year and in the next stage, 15 new FTOs will be established, taking the current number of FTOs in India from 34 to 58.
- The minister further stated, in Assam, we will establish two new heliports in Geleki and Nagaon in next 2 years. On Guwahati River front, we will establish Umrangso water aerodrome in the coming years.
» Today, Northeast Region has 15 operational airports as compared to 9 before 2014. About 18 airstrips, heliports/ helipads, water aerodromes are also awarded under UDAN scheme and are being developed in NER.