D’sala-Chandigarh Air India flight from November 16

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 30

Air India will start operating a flight between Dharamsala and Chandigarh from November 16.

Station manager of Air India at Dharamsala Milllan Gurang confirmed that the service provider was starting flight between Chandigarh and Dharamsala from November 16. He said that a 70-seater plane would fly between Chandigarh and Dharamsala daily.

The flight was not covered under UDAN scheme of the Government of India but the airfare on the route is likely to be low.

Overall, Air India will be operating three flights from Gaggal airport in Dharamsala — existing two flights to New Delhi and one to Chandigarh, he said.

The travel portals like MakeMy Trip were already selling tickets for flight between Chandigarh and Dharamsala.

As per the travel portals, one-way cost of the ticket was Rs 1,712. The flight would take off from Chandigarh at 8.30 am and land at Dharamsala at 9.30 am. It would take off from Dharamsala at 9.55 am and land in Chandigarh at 10.55 am.

The Hotel Association of Dharamsala has welcomed the decision of the Air India to start a flight to Chandigarh. Ashwani Bamba, president of the hotel association, said that air connectivity between Dharamsala and Chandigarh was a long-time demand of the tourism industry of the area. It would help bring in more tourists from Punjab and Haryana to Dharamsala region. Presently, car drive from Chandigarh to Dharamsala is very arduous and takes five to six hour for the journey. However, the flight would reduce it to one- hour affair and many people would like to visit the area, he said.

Sanjeev Gandhi, general secretary, welcomed the decision of the Air India to connect Chandigarh with Dharamsala. However, he said, that the airfares should remain low.

Though Delhi is connected with Dharamsala by air, the airfares were among the highest in the country, he said.