Shimla, Sep 22
An Air Alliance -Air India flight would soon be flying on Delhi-Shimla. Chairman of Airport Advisory Committee and Member of Parliament Suresh Kashyap said after the meeting of AAC at Civil Airport Shimla here today.
He said that Alliance Air-Air India is going to start its flight ( probably from January to February) next year and Pawan Hans running Heli-taxi service on the airport is also going add additional routes so that movement of passengers between Shimla and Chandigarh could be increased.
Presently heli taxi facility under UDAN- 2 by Pawan Hans is running on Chandigarh Shimla route, is to be made economical so that more people could afford the flight.
To add more Heli-taxi service UDAN-3 scheme is under consideration with the operator. New helicopter services would be expanded between Dharamshala- Shimla, Kullu- Shimla, Chandigarh -Shimla, Hindon- Shimla flight routes, said the MP.
Suresh Kashyap said that the expansion of the air strip should be done soon, which will give wings to tourism in Shimla. After expansion runway ATR-42- 600 series aircraft would land on airport Shimla which is proposed to be expanded by filling the deep gorges.
He asked the airport Authority to set up a cab counter on the airport to help local taxi and cab operators and the traffic fare should be fixed.
During the meeting officials raised the issue of various problems regarding expansion of airport. Airport official said in the meeting that forest Department did not accord the proposal to fell green trees as the approval has been pending at the government level.
Suresh Kashyap assured the official that government would work on it soon. He said that decision to expand the runway by 300 meters should be taken after Supreme Court hearing the matter of green felling.
The runway would require acquisition of 123 bighas land to increased more length and space.
He said that current road to Shimla airport is narrow which would be provided by an alternate route for smooth movement of traffic between Shimla and airport. The road from Tutu to Shimla Airport should also be repaired soon and maximum street lights should also be installed on this route. The airport authority would also install solar lights on this route, for this, the electricity department would provide high tension wire.
During the meeting tourism department made some proposals to increase the facility of home stay near the airport, so that the visiting tourists would get convenience.
AAC was informed that Airport recorded about 1431 arrival & departures flights in 2019-20, 626 in 2020-21 and 264 in 2021-22 till 31st August, he added.
The official of Airports Authority of India and  Airport directors Anil Kumar Saini, Sandeep Sagar, Karan Nanda, Kapil Thakur, Satinder Shandilya, Puneet Sharma, Neeraj Chaudhary, Vipul Vidya, DP Singh, Bhag Mal and Sumed Sharma were present in the meeting.
Table top Shimla Airport is considered among world’s dangerous runways which established in 1987 and is built on 109 acres of land.
