Port Blair: The Andaman and Nicobar administration has approached the Civil Aviation Ministry for allowing international flights to operate from Port Blair airport, Chief Secretary Vivek Rae said.

He told a group of visiting journalists that Port Blair would be connected to Phuket in Thailand by January, 2009.

Rae said flying time between the destinations was only 40 minutes and once the connectivity was in place Port Blair would be likely to witness a rush of foreign tourists from Phuket.

He said the administration had also appointed Feedback Ventures for carrying out a feasibility study for setting up yacht marines in and around Port Blair.

Rae said the island was an exotic tourist destination since the place was rich in marine life.

With the Port Blair airport witnessing a 30 per cent growth in traffic each year, Rae said the Airport Authority of India was keen to expand the airport.

He said the administration had also engaged a consultant for studying the feasibility of setting up a transshipment terminal at Great Nicobar.

On post-Tsunami reconstruction, he said the initial estimate of Rs 2600 crore had escalated to Rs 3500 crore.
Source : PTI