Himachal Govt writes to Centre, seeks night landing facility at Kangra airport

The state government has approached the Union Civil Aviation Ministry for approval for night landing facilities at the Kangra airport at Gaggal with an aim to boost tourism and regional connectivity.

At present, the airport operates flights only during day time. This limitation has long been cited as a key hurdle in attracting more tourists and flights to the region.

In a letter written to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu last week, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu said, “The Kangra airport at present operates under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) requiring minimum visibility of 5 km for flight operations. Special VFR operations should be introduced to reduce the minimum visibility criteria from 5 km to 2.5 km to ensure the operation of flights during reduced visibility conditions”.

He told the Union Minister that the Kangra airport, which was the biggest and busiest airport in Himachal, should be equipped with night landing facilities.

District Magistrate, Kangra, Hemraj Bairwa said that with the introduction of night landing capability, the airport’s operational capacity would increase significantly, allowing more flights and flexible schedules for travellers.

“The destinations like Dharamsala, McLeodganj and Palampur can become more accessible to tourists arriving late in the day. This will also support the local economy by benefiting hotels, transport services, and small businesses,” he said.

The proposal to upgrade the airport services includes the installation of advanced runway lighting, navigation systems, upgraded air traffic control infrastructure and enhanced safety protocols.

At present, only a limited number of flights operate to Kangra, primarily Air India, Indigo and SpiceJet from New Delhi.