Just 9 international flights a week from Chandigarh, 33 from Amritsar

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 19

Assuring that Punjab would be a “key element” of the expansion plan for Indian carriers, Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia today said in the Rajya Sabha that Amritsar and Chandigarh together have 42 air traffic movements per week internationally. This includes 33 for Amritsar and nine for Chandigarh.

Rejecting insinuations made by some members that there was little international air connectivity with Amritsar and Chandigarh, Scindia said: “In air service traffic agreements, we only give connectivity to six metros (under open sky policy).”

Chandigarh has international air connectivity with just two destinations —Dubai and Sharjah — in the UAE. It has nine traffic movements per week, despite repeated demands for more flights as a large volume of passengers from the UT, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal take international flights from Delhi. Among the seven countries having air connectivity with Amritsar are Malaysia, UK, UAE, Singapore, Georgia, Qatar and Italy.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary (Civil Aviation), Punjab, Rahul Bhandari said the state had been raising the demand for more international flights from Chandigarh and Amritsar with the Centre on a regular basis.

“These two cities have not been included in the ‘open sky policy’, making it difficult for international airlines to begin flights from here. We want to start direct flights to Canada and other European destinations,” he said.

“Though the Indian carriers can start flights from these two cities, we are told by the Ministry of Civil Aviation that the airlines don’t see commercial viability in operating from here. But the issue is being discussed repeatedly and we are positive that the flights will start soon,” he added.

Tricity-based travel operators rued that over 65% of the passengers at the Delhi airport were from the region. Sumit Gandhi of Sai Tours and Travel in Mohali said, “If one destination of Europe, for example Germany, is connected from here, it will open up the market for the US, Canada and other countries. Travel operators of Punjab have been demanding this for a long time.”

Vaneet Sharma of Sheetal Travels said, “Chandigarh is accessible to a large number of North Indians. It is strange that international flights are operated for two destinations only. A large number of passengers from the region will find it convenient to fly from here rather than from Delhi.”

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