Decade on, Centre agrees only to 'examine' Chandigarh airport's point of call plea

More than a decade after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport at Mohali has little to show for its international ambitions. It remains without the all-important 'Point of Call' (PoC) designation — the key that would unlock foreign airlines to fly directly to and from Chandigarh — even as passengers across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh continue to endure gruelling 11 to 12-hour ordeals to catch international flights from Delhi.

The long-festering issue was raised yet again in Parliament on Monday when BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Chandigarh Satnam Singh Sandhu pressed Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha. The minister's response — that the government will examine traffic data from Chandigarh before considering PoC designation — was measured and non-committal, doing little to dispel the decade-long frustration of a region that built a world-class airport and is still waiting for it to truly take off.

"Traveling from Punjab to Delhi takes seven to eight hours, followed by the requirement to arrive at the airport three hours prior to departure. Consequently, Punjabis end up catching their international flights only after a total waiting period of 11 to 12 hours," MP Sandhu told The Tribune.

PARLIAMENT EXCHANGE

MP Sandhu painted a stark picture for his fellow parliamentarians. "Travelling from Punjab to Delhi takes seven to eight hours, followed by the requirement to arrive at the airport three hours prior to departure. Consequently, Punjabis end up catching their international flights only after a total waiting period of 11 to 12 hours," he told the House, demanding the immediate introduction of more international flights from Chandigarh.

Sandhu pointed out that Chandigarh International Airport is currently operating at a mere 60 per cent of its capacity, a direct consequence of its exclusion from the Point of Call list — a government-notified designation without which foreign carriers are legally barred from flying in or out of an airport, regardless of demand or infrastructure readiness. "It would be of immense convenience to the people of Punjab. When can we expect Chandigarh Airport to be included in the Point of Call list?" he asked the minister.

The minister acknowledged that multiple airports across various states are seeking PoC status. He noted that Chandigarh already has two international routes — to Dubai and Abu Dhabi — operated by IndiGo. He then explained the government's position: "The designation of a Point of Call becomes a requirement primarily when foreign carriers intend to operate flights to our specific airports. If India's domestic airlines wish to fly to any destination across the globe under the framework of Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA), they are at liberty to operate from any airport designated as an international airport — like Chandigarh," Naidu said.

The minister, however, was candid about the government's broader priority: building India's metropolitan airports into international aviation hubs. "Our objective is to ensure that the primary advantage in this sector is secured by India's own carriers. If we give more Points of Call, foreign carriers come, take all the international passengers to their country and then redistribute them from their hub airports. Why can't Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad or Kolkata become international hubs? It is with that idea that we are encouraging Indian carriers to take more and more passengers," Naidu said.

On the specific question of Chandigarh, the minister offered a guarded assurance. "We will examine the traffic generated by the Chandigarh International Airport for designating the airport as Point of Call," he said — the first time the Union government has publicly committed to reviewing the airport's case, even if the commitment stopped well short of a firm timeline or guarantee.

A REGIONAL HUB IN NAME ONLY

The airport, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11, 2015, and renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in 2022, was envisioned as a gateway not just for Punjab but for the wider northern region. It serves a combined population of nearly seven crore people across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, with additional relevance to travellers from Jammu and Kashmir who find Delhi a far less convenient option.

The infrastructure case for PoC status is airtight. The airport operates round the clock, has a 10,400-foot runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft without payload penalties, and a modern terminal spread over 53,000 square metres with full immigration, customs and security facilities for international operations. It has 17 aircraft parking stands including two for wide-body jets, five aerobridges, and a dedicated integrated cargo terminal with perishable cargo handling.

Passenger traffic has surged nearly 200 per cent over the past decade — from around 15 lakh in 2015-16 to approximately 40-42.5 lakh in 2024-25. The airport now handles an average of 84 domestic flight movements a day across around 18-20 destinations. Its terminal was designed to handle six million passengers annually, meaning it has headroom for at least 15-20 lakh more passengers before capacity becomes a concern.

And yet, on the international front, the airport is a near-blank slate. Two routes — Dubai and Abu Dhabi — are the sum of its overseas connectivity. The absence of PoC status means airlines like Emirates, Lufthansa, Air Canada or Singapore Airlines cannot legally schedule services here even if they wanted to. The bilateral offer lists, the foundational documents through which India negotiates flight rights with other countries, do not include Chandigarh as a Point of Call for foreign carriers.

A DECADE OF WAITING

The frustration is not new. For over a decade, political leaders across party lines — from BJP's Sandhu to Congress MP Manish Tewari — have raised the issue inside and outside Parliament, citing the same fundamental injustice: that a world-class airport serving seven crore people sits largely idle on the international front because of a policy designation it cannot obtain.

The Airports Authority of India has consistently maintained that the airport meets all operational prerequisites. Incentive schemes for airlines have been rolled out. Domestic connectivity has expanded steadily. The AAI insists the airport is ready. What it needs is a policy decision from the Union government — one that grants it Point of Call status and places it on India's bilateral offer lists so that foreign carriers can legally operate services here.

The minister's statement on Monday — that the government will examine the airport's traffic data — marks a small but notable shift in tone. Previous replies in Parliament have typically reiterated the policy framework without any specific commitment to examine Chandigarh's case. Whether this examination translates into action, and on what timeline, remains to be seen.

For now, the passengers of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have little choice but to wait — and to keep making the 11 to 12-hour trek to Delhi.

AIRPORT AT A GLANCE

• Inaugurated: September 11, 2015, by PM Narendra Modi
• Renamed: Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (2022)
• Location: Mohali (Punjab)
• 24x7 Operations since April 2019
• Runway length: 10,400 feet (wide-body capable); total paved: 12,400 feet
• Terminal area: 53,000 sq metres
• Design capacity: 60 lakh (6 million) passengers annually
• 2024-25 traffic: 40-42.5 lakh passengers
• Aircraft stands: 17 (including 2 wide-body); 5 aerobridges
• Cargo facility: Integrated cargo terminal with perishable handling
• Current utilisation: 60% of capacity
• Population served: 7 crore (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh)

OPERATIONAL FLIGHTS

• International: Dubai (IndiGo), Abu Dhabi (IndiGo)
• Domestic destinations: 18-20 (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Srinagar, Leh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Lucknow, Patna, Indore, Goa, Dehradun, Dharamshala, Hisar)
• Average daily domestic movements: 84 flights

WHAT IS 'POINT OF CALL'?

• A government-notified designation under India's Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA)
• Mandatory for foreign airlines to legally operate international flights to/from an Indian airport
• Without PoC status, an airport cannot appear on India's bilateral offer lists
• Consequence: Airlines like Emirates, Lufthansa, Air Canada cannot fly to Chandigarh even if market demand exists
• Indian carriers (IndiGo, Air India etc.) can fly internationally from any designated international airport under BASA — PoC restriction applies only to foreign carriers

TIMELINE

• 2015 (Sept 11): Chandigarh International Airport inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi
• 2019 (April): Airport achieves 24x7 operational status
• 2022: Renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport
• 2024-25: Annual passenger traffic reaches 40-42.5 lakh
• Feb 10, 2026: MP Sandhu raises PoC demand in Parliament during Zero Hour, seeks direct flights to London, Singapore, Vancouver
• March 16, 2026: Union Civil Aviation Minister commits to examining Chandigarh's traffic data for PoC designation

WHY IT MATTERS: REGIONAL IMPACT

• Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh lack a viable international aviation alternative to Delhi
• Passengers spend 7-8 hours travelling by road to Delhi, plus 3 hours airport check-in time — totalling 11-12 hours before boarding
• Delhi's IGI Airport faces mounting congestion that Chandigarh could significantly relieve
• Direct international connectivity from Chandigarh would boost tourism, trade, investment and diaspora travel in the northern region
• Enhanced cargo connectivity at Chandigarh could directly benefit Punjab's agricultural export sector
• Airport currently runs at only 60% capacity — PoC status could substantially raise utilisation and airline revenue