Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in New Delhi on Monday and held extensive discussions regarding the enhancement of air connectivity in Himachal Pradesh.
Highlighting the tourism potential of the state and the growing demand for better accessibility, the chief minister urged the Union Minister to make the Delhi-Shimla-Dharamshala and Dharamshala-Shimla-Delhi flights operational on a daily basis.
At present, these routes are operational only three days a week, which he said causes considerable inconvenience to tourists and hampers the state’s tourism industry.
To further ease air travel in the region, the chief minister requested the commencement of night landing facilities at Dharamshala airport.
He stressed that this upgrade would not only facilitate smoother travel for tourists but also help emergency and business travel, especially during the peak tourist seasons.
The chief minister also raised the issue of the Kangra airport expansion.
He apprised the Union minister of the current status of the project and sought special financial assistance from the Centre for the land acquisition process, which he said was proving to be very costly for the state.
Sukhu informed the minister that the matter had also been taken up earlier with the prime minister and emphasized the need for the Ministry’s continued support to expedite the expansion work.
He further requested the construction of four new heliports in various regions of the state. He said the heliports would significantly improve air access to remote areas and boost high-end tourism in Himachal Pradesh.
In addition, discussions were held on the expansion and operational improvements at the Shimla airport. The Chief Minister urged the Union Minister to extend the airport’s operational watch hours beyond the current 1 pm cut-off time.
He also proposed operating Dornier-type aircraft from Shimla, citing the successful use of similar aircraft in the northeastern states under regional connectivity schemes.
He emphasized the importance of encouraging more airline operators to initiate regular flight services to Shimla, which remains one of the state’s most visited destinations. Improved flight connectivity, he said, would provide a significant boost to both tourism and economic activities in the region.