Number of flights likely to soar this summer

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 14

The number of flights operating from the Chandigarh international airport in the summer schedule, from March 26 to October 27, is expected to increase.

An airport official said on condition of anonymity, “Up to 34 flights will operate as per the tentative summer schedule. The final list will see an addition of a few domestic flights, including to Pune, Ahmedabad, Jammu and Dharamsala.”

The watch hours at the airport, currently from 5 am to 4 pm, will change to 7.20 am to 5.30 pm from March 26 and it is likely that the extended period will open up slots for more flights.

Chandigarh is set to be connected to Ahmedabad as GoAir is expected to start a direct flight to the textile hub in Gujarat in the summer schedule. This will be the fourth GoAir flight from the city after Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Sources said the flight would depart from the airport at 3.35 pm. Jet Airways had earlier announced a direct flight from Chandigarh to Pune from March 26. The flight would take off from Chandigarh for Pune at 2.40 pm and it would operate from Monday to Saturday.

The sources said the Jet Airways flight to Jaipur, which had been grounded, would be included in the schedule. Currently, 29 flights, including three international flights, are operational, with the maximum number of flights to Delhi. Airport officials had yesterday announced that the airport would remain closed for operations from May 12 to May 31 for the second phase of runway repair work.