Alliance Air launches thrice-a-week flight between Kullu, Dehradun

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, June 18

Alliance Air today operated the inaugural flight between Kullu and Dehradun. The flight will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, commonly known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik). Alliance Air is the only airline that is operating flights to the Bhuntar airport in Kullu district.

On tuesdays, thursdays, saturdays

• The flight will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays under the Regional Connectivity Scheme, commonly known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik)
• The flight will depart from Delhi at 6.35 am and arrive in Kullu at 8 am. It will then head to Dehradun at 8.25 am and reach there at 9.35 am. The flight will return from Dehradun at 10 am and reach Kullu at 11.20 am. It will then head back to Delhi at 11.45 am and reach there at 1 pm

The one-way fare of the Kullu-Dehradun flight is Rs 2,753 per seat, including the web charge of Rs 199, and for the Dehradun-Kullu flight, the fare is Rs 4,317 per seat. The same ATR-72 aircraft having 70 seats, which operates between Kullu and Delhi every day, will carry out the operations. The aircraft is allowed to ferry only around 20 passengers while taking off from Kullu due load stipulations because of the shorter runway, depending upon temperature.

The flight will depart from Delhi at 6.35 am and arrive in Kullu at 8 am. It will then head to Dehradun at 8.25 am and reach there at 9.35 am. The flight will return from Dehradun at 10 am and reach Kullu at 11.20 am. It will then head back to Delhi at 11.45 am and reach there at 1 pm.

The flight has created an alternative and economical option to commute between Delhi and Kullu through Dehradun. At present, seats on the Kullu-Delhi direct flights are not available for the next 13 days and a seat is costing Rs 17,663 for July 2 despite additional direct flights on Sundays and Wednesdays. Even the flight from Delhi to Kullu is costing Rs 15,078 per seat for June 20.

Alliance Air is operating two flights from Dehradun to Delhi at 4 pm and 7.40 pm and the seats are generally available for Rs 3,477. Thus it will cost around Rs 6,230 to reach Delhi from Kullu via Dehradun. The Alliance Air and Indigo flights from Delhi to Dehradun are also available for around Rs 4,000 per seat and one can reach Kullu from Delhi via Dehradun for nearly Rs 8,300.

Meanwhile, people associated with the tourism industry said that the frequency of additional direct flights between Delhi and Kullu should be increased.