Shimla, April 30
Himachal Pradesh High Court has pulled up Union Government over the continued suspension of flights from Shimla Airport and the broader failure to provide reliable air connectivity to the state, observing that such “step-motherly treatment” towards a state capital cannot be justified.
Hearing a public interest litigation—originally related to bird menace at Gagal Airport but later expanded to examine overall air connectivity in Himachal Pradesh—the Division Bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chandra Negi on Tuesday expressed concern that Shimla remains the only state capital in the country not adequately covered under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN).
The court noted that despite infrastructure being in place, there are no scheduled flight operations from Shimla after Alliance Air suspended services citing shortage of aircraft.
It directed the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to appear virtually in the next hearing and explain why Shimla has been excluded from effective implementation of the UDAN scheme.
During the proceedings, it emerged that while the Centre has claimed development of airports under the Regional Connectivity Scheme—with allocations of over Rs 16 crore for Shimla and Rs 37 crore for Kullu—there is no clarity on operational sustainability. The affidavit also indicated that Kangra Airport has multiple weekly flight movements, but Shimla currently has none.
The state government informed the court that Shimla has not been included in the revised UDAN framework announced in the Union Budget 2026–27, with no routes allocated for key sectors such as Delhi–Shimla or Shimla–Dharamshala. This, despite the fact that Himachal is a mountainous state where travel to Delhi by road can take 8–10 hours, making air connectivity crucial for both residents and tourists.
The court also took note of the state’s limited financial capacity. It was submitted that the Himachal Pradesh Government had already entered into an agreement with Alliance Air on April 5, 2026, providing viability gap funding of Rs 32.64 crore to resume flight operations. However, the continuation of services remains uncertain without sustained support.
Highlighting the importance of tourism as a primary economic driver, the Bench observed that ensuring proper air connectivity is not only an administrative necessity but also a broader obligation. The court remarked that even central officials face difficulty reaching Shimla due to poor connectivity, underlining the seriousness of the issue.
Alliance Air has indicated that it may resume operations in May, subject to aircraft availability. Taking note of this assurance, the court has listed the matter for further hearing on May 6, 2026.
The proceedings have brought into focus a larger contradiction—while the UDAN scheme is projected as a national initiative to enhance regional air connectivity, its implementation in Himachal Pradesh appears inconsistent, leaving the state capital without regular air services.
State Capital is not on the National Air Maps immediately after 2024 Lok Sabha Election, State Congress government is constantly accusing Modi Government for starving of central funds from national kity including recent decision to stop Revenue Deficit Grant.
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