Flight Numbers Being Reduced, Yet MBB Airport Announces 24-Day ‘Yatri Sewa’ on PM’s Birthday: Questions Over Passenger Service
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 17, 2026
At a time when air connectivity from Tripura is facing uncertainty and several flight services from Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport are being reduced or proposed for withdrawal, the airport authorities have announced a 24-day ‘Yatri Sewa Abhiyan 2026’, beginning September 17 and continuing till October 10.
The timing of the announcement has raised questions among passengers, particularly as the campaign begins on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday and coincides with concerns over the availability of flights from Agartala.
MBB Airport Director Krishan Mohan Nehra, addressing a press conference on Wednesday, said the airport is making efforts to ensure that airlines continue their operations from Agartala. He disclosed that he had written to the CEOs of airlines operating from the airport, requesting them not to withdraw flights. The State Government has also taken up the issue with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.
According to the airport director, MBB Airport currently handles a maximum of 14 arrivals and 14 departures a day, with around 4,000–4,500 passengers travelling through the airport daily. Passenger movement is expected to rise to nearly 6,000 a day during the forthcoming festival season.
However, the airport authorities have acknowledged that airlines may reduce or alter their operations because of commercial considerations, aircraft availability and maintenance requirements. Hyderabad services, which earlier operated five days a week, have already reportedly come down to three days a week, while changes have also been made to Delhi services.
Earlier, concerns were also raised over the proposed withdrawal or reduction of services on several important routes from Agartala.
Against this backdrop, MBB Airport will observe the Yatri Sewa Abhiyan 2026 from September 17 to October 10. The campaign is intended to improve passenger facilitation, accessibility, cleanliness, information services and assistance at the airport.
The airport has highlighted facilities including Digi Yatra, check-in counters, baggage trolleys, ‘May I Help You’ assistance, seating arrangements, free Wi-Fi, mobile charging points and the Flight Information Display System. The campaign will also give special attention to senior citizens, Divyangjan and passengers requiring additional assistance.
The announcement has inevitably brought the issue of actual air connectivity into focus. For passengers, better assistance inside and outside of the airport is important, but the fundamental requirement remains the availability of sufficient flights at reasonable frequency.
The airport authorities have said that flight schedules are ultimately determined by airlines based on commercial and operational considerations. At the same time, the airport is actively trying to persuade airlines to retain their services, particularly ahead of the festival season when passenger demand is expected to increase substantially.
MBB Airport handled approximately 1.5 million passengers during 2025–26, and the airport director said it had ranked sixth nationally in the Customer Satisfaction Survey. Flight occupancy during peak periods can reportedly reach 95–99 per cent.
What is particularly surprising is that MBB Airport may be one of the few airports in the country where passengers or their accompanying vehicles are required to pay an entry fee of more or less Rs. 50 simply for entering the airport premises. Since the time permitted for dropping off and picking up passengers is reportedly kept extremely short, a large number of passengers and their families are effectively being forced to pay this fee. The Tripura Human Rights Commission has reportedly drawn the attention of the airport authorities on multiple occasions to the alleged illegal collection of this entry fee, but no effective action appears to have followed. There are also allegations that a nexus involving sections of the airport authorities, the contractor and certain sections of the state transport administration is allowing this practice to continue. Despite the issue continuing for a long time, there appears to be little initiative to stop what has been described as an illegal collection, while the Tripura Transport Department has also remained silent on the matter.
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