A First ever Made-In-Bharat 17-seater fixed wings civil Dornier Aircraft landed at Pasighat airport in eastern Arunachal Pradesh under UDAAN on Tuesday today. The commercial flight has given new wings to air connectivity and tourism in the Northeast Himalayan states.
The commercial flights from Guwahati-Lila Bari-Dibrugarh-Pasighat under UDAAN has got a booster dose in Arunachal. The state government has reduced the VAT on air turbine fuel from 20 per cent to 1 per cent, thereby giving a new push to the air connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh and Northeast, informed the officials.
As soon as the aircraft that took off from the Dibrugarh airport landed at the Pasighat airport, the gathering of people and officials led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu went into an orgy of joy. They greeted the passengers including Civil aviation minister Jyotirmadiya Sindhia, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on board of the fixed wings Made- in-Bharat aircraft at the terminal in a traditional Arunachali way. The water sprinklers sprayed showers on the pall of dust in the air as soon as the aircraft came to halt at the airstrip. 
"It is a proud moment and historic occasion that eastern Arunachal has been linked to the mainstream and it will boost air connectivity in northeast region under UDAAN", said the elated Chief Minister. He thanked the Prime Minister Narender Modi and Sindhia for connecting the Northeastern Arunachal through air-connectivity.
Rijiju said the flying in a Made- in- Bharat aircraft is a symbol of Atam-Nirbhar Bharat under UDAAN, a vision of the Prime Minister Narender Modi.
In fact, Central government has sanctioned a budget of Rs 500 crore for providing air connectivity to the Northeats region out of which Rs 227 Crore will be used in Arunachal. The amount has been received by the government, he said. Rs 70 crore is earmarked for Tezu airport, while Rs 5- 10 Crore is for the Pasighat airport, Sindhia added.
