Pawan Hans Ltd launched its helicopter services for several sectors connecting four major cities in Assam, with an aim at boosting tourism in the northeastern state, a senior official said. The service will be available on the Dibrugarh-Jorhat-Tezpur-Guwahati-Tezpur-Jorhat-Dibrugarh routes for three days a week. The chopper service provider has entered into an agreement with the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) to operate in these sectors.

“Pleased to sign MoU with Pawan Hans Ltd on behalf of ATDC for its chopper services started from today connecting 4 sectors in Assam under RCS UDAN. Initiative will certainly going to boost tourism sector,” ATDC Managing Director Padmapani Borah wrote on Twitter.

Pawan Hans has been awarded 86 routes under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in six states.“Today’s launch is part of the first phase of the programme,” another official said. Subsequently, the services will be expanded to neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, an official release had said earlier.

The scheme is providing special impetus to boost air connectivity to remote places of the northeastern states, which have inadequate rail and road links, it added.