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Kullu-Chandigarh flights to boost tourism: Bizmen
Alliance Air to operate 3 days a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — from November; it had halted the service in 2023; at present, the Bhuntar airport operates flights to Delhi, Dehradun, Jaipur and Amritsar
With the Alliance Air set to resume its flights from the Kullu-Manali airport at Bhuntar to Chandigarh after a two-year hiatus, those associated with the tourism industry say the move is expected to boost tourism in the region where road connectivity had suffered during the monsoon season.
Airport authorities confirmed that they received the winter schedule from the airline. As per the plan, they will operate flights to Chandigarh three days a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Officials said the flights on this route would resume in November.
The national regional carrier had suspended the route in November 2023, after operating it since September 2020. The Kullu-Manali airport is situated at Bhuntar at a distance of 50 km from the world famous tourist destination of Manali.
At present, the Bhuntar airport operates flights to Delhi, Dehradun, Jaipur and Amritsar. The revival of the Chandigarh service will also provide travellers with an affordable alternative route to reach Delhi. According to officials, under the winter schedule, daily flights will operate to Delhi, while flights to Dehradun and Amritsar will operate three times a week, and to Jaipur twice a week.
The tourism industry in Kullu-Manali is likely to get a boost with the resumption of air services from Chandigarh. The tourism in the region remained severely affected during monsoon season. The Chandigarh–Manali national highway had suffered extensive damage at several stretches due to the overflowing Beas river and landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains. The inclement weather and the closure of the highway had given a blow to the hospitality industry.
Local tourism stakeholders welcomed the resumption of the air service. Kullu-Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal chief Anup Thakur said the resumption of air services to Chandigarh would certainly give a boost to tourism. “We have seen how road connectivity was severely affected during the monsoon. We suggest that this service be brought under the UDAN scheme to make air travel more affordable as the airfare generally remains high,” he said.
