Hindon civil terminal may start 3 new routes to Ayodhya, Kushinagar, Pithoragarh

According to the officials, the civil terminal at Ghaziabad is proposed to operate flights to eight routes -- Nasik, Pithoragarh, Kannur, Hubli, Faizabad, Shimla, Jamnagar and Kalaburgi

The connectivity from the new civil terminal at Ballia’s Sikandarpur, near the Hindon airbase, will span to three different cities through three new routes from Hindon to Ayodhya, Kushinagar, and Pithoragarh, Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said on Wednesday.

Under the RCS connectivity scheme, the civil terminal is operational for passenger facilities, and the civil flights make use of the runway of the Indian Air Force’s Hindon airbase, which is adjacent to the civil terminal. (Sakib Ali/HT)

The civil terminal, which became operational in 2019, operates flights to different routes under the central government’s regional connectivity services, also known as ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ (UDAN). At present, it operates flights from Hindon to Hubli and Kalaburgi, as the initial route from Hindon to Pithoragarh is still suspended.

“The airline has not resumed the Hindon-Pithoragarh route after it suspended the flights in 2020. However, all other routes are operational... We have information on new routes to Ayodhya, Kushinagar, and Pithoragarh, and the connectivity from the civil terminal will improve further,” said Shobha Bhardwaj, director of the Sikandarpur civil terminal.

The new routes will be popular as Ayodhya is famous for religious and historical importance, and Kushinagar is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site too, said the officials. Also, Pithoragarh -- located in Uttarakhand -- is a famous hill station.

“It is now up to the respective airlines to start the operations. It is likely that the new routes will start soon,” Bhardwaj added.

According to the officials, the civil terminal at Ghaziabad is proposed to operate flights to eight routes -- Nasik, Pithoragarh, Kannur, Hubli, Faizabad, Shimla, Jamnagar and Kalaburgi.

The first flight from the civil terminal was made operational between Hindon and Pithoragarh on October 11, 2019, and the second route between Hindon and Hubli on November 6, 2019. The flights from Hindon to Kalaburgi started in November 2020.

Under the RCS connectivity scheme, the civil terminal is operational for passenger facilities, and the civil flights make use of the runway of the Indian Air Force’s Hindon airbase, which is adjacent to the civil terminal.