Keeping in mind the high tourist potential, Air India subsidiary Alliance Air has introduced a direct flight to Port Blair from here via Bhubaneswar and would operate a new 70-seater jet plane. 

Giving holiday makers another reason to cheer, Air India's direct flight AI 9603/9604 would be operated with Bombardier's CRJ-700 on all days of the week, except Saturday, a spokesperson said.

So far, tourists from North and West India, intending to visit Andaman & Nicobar Islands, had to change flights from Kolkata or Chennai.

The airline is also adding capacity on the Delhi-Guwahati sector, adding another flight AI 9611/9612 that would operate with a CRJ-700 aircraft on all days, barring Sunday, he said.

With this service, there would be two direct flights between the two cities from now on. Both Port Blair and Guwahati are part of the sensitive and socially important air routes where the government wants to encourage air travel.

The spokesperson said a variety of fares were being made available on the new services, including special promotional fares and those to stimulate LTC travel for government servants.

The new services, to be operated by Alliance Air, are expected to improve connectivity for passengers from northern and western India or arriving from abroad and travelling to Port Blair and Guwahati.