Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur with Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation General (retd.) V.Ok. Singh flags off the first Indigo Airline Delhi-Dharamshala-Delhi flight in New Delhi on March 23, 2023. Photo: Twitter/@PIB_India
The first IndiGo airways’ Delhi-Dharamshala-Delhi flight was flagged off on Sunday by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation General (Retd.) V.Ok. Singh.
Speaking on the event, Mr. Thakur expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for facilitating IndiGo connectivity to Himachal Pradesh.
Mr. Thakur made a case for a bigger airport and stated that, at present, passengers visiting Himachal Pradesh from throughout India need to go to Delhi after which board connecting flights to the State. A bigger airport would supply direct seamless connectivity to passengers.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the speedy growth of airport infrastructure within the nation and stated the variety of airports had gone from 74 to over 140 in a brief span of time. He stated that owing to the UDAN scheme, flying had change into inexpensive for most of the people.
Mr. Thakur stated the Dharamshala airport linked 5 districts, straight benefiting half of the State’s inhabitants. “This single IndiGo flight goes a long way in connecting half of the State and a few places in Punjab to the rest of the country,” he stated.
General Singh stated the Dharamshala airport had seen its first flight in 1990, and subsequently noticed its operations increasing, and now had a runway of 1,376 m. He stated the runway might be additional lengthened, if house permitted.
Mr. Scindia stated what was not achieved prior to now 65 years within the area of civil aviation had been achieved prior to now 9 years with the creation of 148 airports, waterdromes, and heliports. He stated the Ministry of Civil Aviation was working in the direction of taking it past 200 airports throughout the subsequent three to 4 years.
Mr. Scindia lauded Mr. Thakur’s efforts in creating sports activities infrastructure within the State. He drew parallels between the stadium in Dharamshala to the most effective on the planet.
The Minister acknowledged the request for growth of Dharamshala airport and stated his Ministry was already engaged on a two-phase plan for it. The first section concerned lengthening of the present runway to 1,900 m., after which to three,110 m. in the course of the second section.
He stated the runway restoration on the Shimla airport had been accomplished and web site clearance supplied for a greenfield airport in Mandi.
Himachal Pradesh has been supplied 44 routes underneath UDAN, of which 22 are already operational. Connectivity has elevated from 40 plane per week in 2013-14 to 110, a rise of 175% over 9 years.
