Alliance Air to start additional Kullu-Delhi flights from July 3

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, June 5

The national regional flag carrier, Alliance Air, has released a schedule of additional flights between Delhi and Kullu on Sundays and Wednesdays starting from July 3. An ATR-72 aircraft will be pressed into service for the additional flights while one ATR-72 plane was already operating daily flights to the Kullu-Manali Airport at Bhuntar. The Tribune had highlighted the issue of the requirement of additional flights on the Kullu-Delhi route on May 27.

Unavailability of seats

• No seats are available on the Kullu-Delhi flight till June 13 and further till June 25 even for Rs 26,378
• No information about restarting operations to Chandigarh

The one-way ticket of the Delhi to Kullu flight is available for Rs 7,413, including additional Rs 199 web charge collected by the airline’s website. The Kullu to Delhi flight return ticket is available for Rs 9,473 but the price varies as it is flexible and depends upon demand. The additional flight will depart from Delhi at 7.30 am on Wednesdays and at 6.50 am on Sundays. The flight will return from Kullu at 9.20 am on Wednesdays and at 9 am Sundays.

The airline is also starting direct flights between Kullu and Dehradun under the UDAN Scheme from June 18. The flights will be operated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The one-way fare for the Kullu to Dehradun flight is kept at Rs 3,198, including the web charge, and for the return Dehradun to Kullu flight it is Rs 4,198.

Meanwhile, the Kullu to Amritsar flights will be operated on four days a week, other than when the flight will go to Dehradun. The Kullu to Amritsar flight ticket costs Rs 2,875 and the return ticket Rs 3,532. However, there are two Dehradun to Delhi direct flights of Alliance Air at 4 pm and 7.40 pm and one can reach New Delhi from Kullu for Rs 6,675.

Travel agent Vikrant said that seats were not available even at the full fare of Rs 26,378 on the Kullu to Delhi flight till June 30, expect for five seats on June 13 and three on June 25. Only one seat was available on each day for Rs 15,563 while the fare for the remaining seats on the two days would increase with the sale. He added that the Kullu to Delhi flight on July 1would cost Rs 11,888.

He said, “Even the earliest available ticket for the Delhi to Kullu flight for Thursday is costing Rs 17,703 and flights are not available on June 7 and 8.” He added that the airline should also ponder over the hop over at Chandigarh as earlier and additional flights should be started as early as possible. The Alliance Air authorities said that there was no information about the Chandigarh operations.