Imphal : Air India, India’s flagship airline, has officially ceased operations at Imphal’s Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, marking the termination of more than 60 years of unceasing service to the capital of Manipur.
Its low cost airline Air India, Express will continue to fly to and from Manipur.
Speaking to Business North East, Air India Express Manager said, “Air India Express is still operating, still running. This decision was taken long time back. The decision is from the headquarters. The Air India from Calcutta to Imphal and Imphal to Dibrugarh has now ceased to operate”.
The final flight, operated by an Airbus A319 aircraft, departed Imphal on June 15 drawing the curtain on an era that started in the early 1960s. Initially worked under Indian Airlines, which reached domestic ways before its union with Air India in 2007, the service played a vital role in linking Manipur and other north eastern states with the rest of the country.
Over the decades, Air India’s presence in Imphal was not only symbolic of national integration but also critical in supporting the region’s mobility, commerce, and emergency travel needs.
The airline’s exit from Imphal comes in the backdrop of a planned overhaul initiated by the Tata Group, which acquired Air India in January 2022. As part of its post-privatisation change, the airline has been re-entering its route feasibility and operational insistences, resulting in a phased removal from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across India.
The choice to stop flights from Imphal reflects this broader plan to combine operations, cut losses, and move the airline in the face of increasing competition and developing market dynamics.
However, the airline has not made an official statement about any replacement services, there is assumption that Air India Express, its low-cost lesser, may fill the gap in the future.
The airline had assisted not just as a transport link but also as a symbol of national integration for the Northeastern region, which has often felt separate from the normal. For many people, Air India meant more than just an airline—it was a bridge to the wider world.
As Manipur and the broader Northeast region await fresh statements on other carriers or restored services, the farewell to Air India is being seen as both a planned business choice and a deeply emotive moment in the state’s modern history
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