Punjab MP asks Centre to start direct flights to London, Singapore from Chandigarh

Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu on Tuesday urged the Centre to start direct international flights to London, Singapore, and Vancouver from Chandigarh.  

Raising this issue during the Zero Hour in Parliament, he demanded Chandigarh International Airport be designated as “point of call” which is a prerequisite for international airlines to operate from a particular airport to global destinations. 

He also urged the Union government to increase the cargo capacity of both the international airports, Chandigarh and Amritsar - in Punjab to boost the state’s exports. Currently, only two international flights are being operated from Chandigarh to Abu Dhabi. 

“Considering the importance of the Chandigarh Airport, it was built to handle an annual capacity of 60 lakh passengers. Currently, the airport handles 40 lakh passengers annually and has the capacity to handle 20 lakh new passengers,” Sandhu said.

At present, the Punjab MP, said the Chandigarh International Airport has not been designated as a point of call (PoC) for international airlines and therefore, is not on the “bilateral offer list”, which is a prerequisite for foreign airlines to be able to fly in and out of the airport.

Fulfilling the long-pending demand of Punjab, the Chandigarh Airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2015, was renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, by the Union government in 2022 as a tribute to the freedom fighter on his 115^th birth anniversary. This was after PM Narendra Modi announced the name change during his Mann Ki Baat radio address.