Kullu airport inducted under UDAN scheme : The Tribune India

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Kullu airport inducted under UDAN scheme

KULLU: The Kullu-Manali Airport at Bhuntar has been included under UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Kullu airport inducted under UDAN scheme

A file photo of the Kullu Airport, Bhuntar.



Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, November 23

The Kullu-Manali Airport at Bhuntar has been included under UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) scheme by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). UDAN was launched by the government last month and it seeks to connect small cities by air as well as make flying more affordable for the masses.

Kullu Airport Director AN Sharma said the AAI had called for open bidding from all interested stakeholders, including airlines, on the government’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN. The Kullu Airport and many other airports throughout the country having less than seven flights a week were included under the scheme. Airfare of Rs 2,500 or lower is to be offered for flights of less than one-hour duration.

The scheme is a market-based mechanism in which airlines bid for seat subsidies through auctioning. Operators will assess demand on routes and submit proposals for operating and providing connectivity on such routes and seek Viability Gap Funding (VGF), if any, while committing to certain minimum operating conditions, Sharma stated.

So far only national carrier Air India was plying daily flights from Delhi to Kullu. With the inclusion of Kullu Airport under UDAN scheme, other airlines would be encouraged to conduct operations on this sector. Air India would also offer lower airfares after other operators start scheduled operations and offer UDAN seats, AN Sharma added.

Kullu Air India station manager Dinesh Bhardwaj said even earlier the airlines had offered lower fares and discounts on special occasions and few tickets had been provided at Rs 2,000 as well. So far, they had not received any communication about lowering of airfare under the UDAN scheme. At present, the lowest fare offered at was Rs 4,000 for limited seats.

Travel agents of the region welcomed the decision to include Kullu Airport under the UDAN scheme. Bhupinder Thakur, patron of Kullu Travel Agents Association, said they had been demanding subsidised flights to promote tourism industry since long. Tourist influx would increase with the provision of low air fares and it would also facilitate the masses of the region to avail cheaper air services. Full economy fare being charged by Air India was over Rs 16,000 and seats were not available even at this fare during the peak tourist seasons, which was a major drawback for tourists and the travel agents, he added.

Aviation experts said increased air traffic to the valley would boost the economy of the region and promote the tourism industry.

Ajay, a frequent flier from the town, said the availability of seats would increase with the commencement of operations of other airlines to Kullu Airport and this would encourage healthy competition which would benefit consumers.

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