In a bid to improve air connectivity and promote tourism in the North East, Guwahati was connected to three destinations with direct flights from Sunday.

The direct flights linked the Lokopriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport here with Pakyong in Sikkim, Bhubaneswar in Odisha and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) statement said. SpiceJet's flight SG-3325 from Pakyong arrived at Guwahati at 12.20 pm and the return flight SG-3326 took off from Guwahati at 12.40 pm, it added.

A ceremony was held at the airport here and the passengers were greeted, the statement said. The flight time between Guwahati and Pakyong is one hour, it said. Similarly, Indigo's flight 6E-726 arrived at 8.15 am from Bhubaneswar and the return flight 6E-731 left for Bhubaneswar at 1.50 pm, the AAI statement said.

Indigo's other flight, the direct flight between Guwahati and Varanasi, 6E-953 departed for Varanasi at 8.45 am and the return flight 6E954 arrived here at 1.15 pm, the AAI release added.

Guwahati Airport Director Ramesh Kumar; AAI and CISF officials along with other airline officials were present at the airport to greet passengers of these flights also, it said. The winter schedule for flight operations also came into effect from the LGBI Airport in Guwahati on Sunday and it will continue till the last Saturday of March 2019, the AAI statement said.