Himachal: Alliance Air resumes Kullu flights ahead of tourist rush

In a major relief for tourism stakeholders in Kullu and Manali, Alliance Air has increased the frequency of its Kullu-Delhi flights to five days a week until June and resumed operations on the Kullu-Amritsar route. The decision comes weeks after the airline had reduced flights to just three days a week till October, sparking widespread concern among hoteliers, tour operators and local businesses dependent on tourism. The issue was also highlighted in these columns on May 2.

The revised flight schedule has come into effect immediately and offers passengers multiple travel options. Flights from Kullu to Delhi will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8.05 am, on Tuesdays at 12.05 pm and on Sundays at 11.45 am. However, services will remain suspended on Thursdays and Saturdays. Significantly, fares for the newly reintroduced Tuesday and Sunday flights are around Rs 17,000, considerably lower than the Rs 24,400 being charged on the other operating days.

For passengers travelling from Delhi to Kullu, flights will depart at 7.20 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 7.50 am on Tuesdays and at 10.05 am on Sundays. In addition, a Saturday service via Jaipur will depart Delhi at 7.20 am and reach Kullu at 10.40 am.

Alliance Air has also restarted Kullu-Amritsar flights on Tuesdays till June. Besides this, Kullu-Jaipur services will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while Kullu-Dehradun flights will run on Mondays and Wednesdays. However, tickets for these routes are yet to be made available online.

Aviation experts have urged the airline to deploy its Dornier-228 aircraft on Kullu and Shimla routes. They believe the smaller aircraft, specifically designed for short runways, could improve connectivity, increase competition and reduce airfare, while giving a boost to the local economy.

Though the immediate crisis over flight frequency has eased, tourism stakeholders say repeated schedule disruptions continue to create uncertainty for travellers and businesses alike. They stress that Himachal Pradesh’s tourism economy, especially during the off-season, depends heavily on predictable and affordable air connectivity. While Alliance Air’s latest move has been welcomed, industry stakeholders believe long-term reliability and better planning remain essential for sustaining tourism growth in the region.