Centre: Have no role in scheduling direct international flights

Hopes for direct international flights from Chandigarh and Amritsar to destinations like Canada, the United Kingdom and Singapore have once again been dashed. The Union government has clarified that such decisions rest entirely with commercial airlines.

Responding to a question from BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, the Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that while bilateral air service agreements allowed such operations, the government played no role in initiating or scheduling flights.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said international flight operations were governed by bilateral air service agreements between India and other countries. These agreements allow Indian carriers to operate from any international airport, including Chandigarh and Amritsar, to foreign destinations. However, whether or not such routes are launched depends on factors like passenger demand, slot availability, route profitability and broader commercial considerations.

The government has not fixed any timeline for launching direct flights from Punjab to countries with large Punjabi diasporas, including Canada and the UK. Mohol stated that the government merely provided an enabling environment for aviation growth and did not interfere in the operational planning of airlines.