No Chandigarh-Sharjah flight from tomorrow

Gaurav Kanthwal

Mohali, October 25

The Chandigarh-Sharjah flight from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport (SBSIA), Chandigarh, is set to be discontinued from October 27, said SBSIA CEO Rakesh Ranjan Sahay.

The thrice-a-week flight, with 360 seats (180+180), was much in demand in this region but the airline has chosen to discontinue it for inexplicable reasons. Sources said there has been no information on whether the flight would resume later or not.

“We have sent an email to the airlines requesting it not to discontinue the flight as it is a popular destination from here but the final decision rests with the airlines only. The daily flight to Dubai will continue as usual,” said Sahay.

The move comes as a big blow to the Chandigarh airport’s ambition of becoming a truly world class international airport. Despite region’s overwhelming demand for international flights from here, the airport’s connectivity to two international destinations has now been reduced to just one (Dubai). The new winter schedule will be operational at the SBSIA from October 29, with more or less no change in the number of flights or destinations. Officials said the daytime flights will operate as usual with slight variations in the early morning and evening hours.