Alliance Air discontinues Chandigarh-Kullu flights
Abhinav Vashisht
Kullu, November 17
The national regional flag carrier Alliance Air ceased the operations between Chandigarh and Kullu from yesterday. After the beginning of the operations between Kullu and Amritsar from October 1, flights between Kullu and Chandigarh were reduced from six days a week to three days on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Flight was convenient for patients
A resident said the flight between Chandigarh and Kullu was very convenient, especially for elderly and patients visiting PGIMER and other health institutions in Chandigarh. He said the nearest good health facilities for the masses of Kullu were available at Chandigarh.
The national carrier Air India had started its regular flights between Kullu and Chandigarh on October 5, 2017. The Alliance Air has been carrying out the operations to Chandigarh from September 2020. The airport at Bhuntar was included under Prime Minister’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme in 2016 to make flying more affordable for people.
The then Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had stated the Kullu-Chandigarh sector would be included in the second version of UDAN scheme and the fares would be reduced further. However, now the airlines had stopped the operations between Kullu and Chandigarh altogether.
The Alliance Air is providing tickets for Rs 1,999 for the 70-minute flight between Kullu and Amritsar under the UDAN scheme. The masses had been demanding subsidised fares for the flight. However the fares remained sky high on this sector and tickets from Kullu to Chandigarh were available upwards of Rs 20,000 and the maximum fare was priced at Rs 26,480.
A resident said that the flight between Chandigarh and Kullu was very convenient, especially for the elderly and the patients visiting the PGIMER and other health institutions in Chandigarh. He said that the nearest good health facilities for the masses of Kullu were available at Chandigarh. Therefore, the government should intervene and direct the airline to restart the operations between Kullu and Chandigarh.
Kullu Travel Agents Association patron Bhupinder Thakur said that air fares between Kullu, Chandigarh and Delhi should be regulated by the government so that the passengers were not fleeced.
He said the UDAN flights should be launched for Chandigarh and Delhi as well as it will provide fillip to the tourism industry and facilitate commuters. He said that the government should rope in other airlines to operate to Kullu to check the monopoly of the sole air carrier here.
