Now, fly Shimla to Delhi in Rs 1,920

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 21

A one-hour flight costing Rs 1,920 will now ferry passengers from Shimla to Delhi or vice versa. It is after a span of over four-and-a-half years that the state capital will again have aerial connectivity.

The inaugural flight will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27 from the Jubbarhatti airport, near here, at 11.45 am. To begin with there will be a daily flight (ATR-42) of Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India from Delhi to Shimla and back.

RK Choubey, Union Secretary (Civil Aviation) and Ashwani Lohani, Chief Managing Director, Air India, today flew down to Jubbarhatti airport to oversee the launch of the flight by the Prime Minister. The possibility of another private airline also starting a flight from Shimla cannot be ruled out. There have been no scheduled flights from Shimla since September 2012 though chartered flights, including the one of the Army and Air Force, have been landing here on and off.

However, the fare of Rs 1,920 will only be on 50 per cent of the total seats as the other half would be available on flexi rate which could fluctuate anywhere from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000, depending on demand. While on its way from Delhi to Shimla, the plane will ferry 35 persons but on the return journey, it will carry only about 15 to 20 passengers owning to a shorter runway.

Resumption of flights to Shimla has been possible under the Government of India’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), where smaller and unconnected routes are being provided aerial connectivity on nominal rates of less than Rs 2,500 for a flight with one hour or less duration.

The resumption of flight has come as a big relief to the tourism industry as high-end tourists were very apprehensive about travelling by road, which was very strenuous and taxing.

The start of the flight coincides with the tourist season which has picked up with the mercury soaring. “Hoteliers and travel agents, however, feel that one flight would be insufficient to cater to the demand of tourists as well as locals. “The start of the flight is a welcome step but one flight is insufficient so the possibility of roping in another airline should be explored,” said Naveen Pal, president of Shimla Travel Agents Association. Similar sentiments were echoed by Harnam Kukreja, President of Shimla Hoteliers Association.

Two children from a local orphanage will enjoy the flight from Shimla to Delhi and return as a goodwill gesture.

The new scheme

• Resumption of flights to Shimla has been possible under the Government of India's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)
• Under the scheme, smaller and unconnected routes are being provided aerial connectivity on nominal rates of less than Rs 2,500 for a flight with one hour or less duration. 
• The resumption of flight has come as a big relief to the tourism industry as high-end tourists were very apprehensive about travelling by road, which was very strenuous and taxing.