I remember, when I was a kid, I had visited Patna airport once just to see an aeroplane, take off and landing. Seeing the aeroplane landing and taking off, It was so beautiful, I had asked my parents whether, we would also sit on aeroplane some day! My mother said, "son, we have done, whatever, we could do. Now, all these demands are to be met by you!"
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Certainly, a flight journey these days is not a very privilaged wish as used to be some 10 years back, as the flight fare is low as compared to hike in salary. But, for me a flight journey is not a matter of choice/luxury, rather, a necessity! Rail distance from kolkata to Agartala could be around 1500-2000 kms. whereas, the air distance is only 400 kms. This is due to presence of Bangladesh plugged into lower arm of northeastern states!
To travel by rail, It takes more than 48 hours, where as by flight, It's less than an hour!
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However, a luxurious journey adapts oneself to it so much so that other travel modes seems inferior and unwanted. I also had to visit Delhi recently! The Rajdhani express and AC berths are full before the sleeper class, clearly depicting people getting richer,or low fare as compared to hike in salary/ income! To add to it, there are so many people who have to travel, so, Sleeper class becomes like a local train, with so many waitlisted passengers! Yet, a night joureny is just good, as we reach our destination while in our sleep, but, if trains too late, it really is a kind of harassment.
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I believe, a long flight journey is yet low cost as compared to land travel, if we perform a nice analysis, including all costs. Whereas, to travel by land, we have to develop a complete land infrastructure, It's not so for the air travel, where the complete space is the route, which requires no additional cost! The infrastructure which needs development is only while taking off and landing, the two end terminals. I believe, for long journey, air travel is the future! If somehow, cost of fuel could be reduced, air travel would be very economical! A plane carries more number of passengers than a "train with specified number of berths" in the same time interval, due to more number of trips possible due to high speed of aeroplane and hence less time taken.
