Dharamshala: With the end of hostilities between India and Pakistan, the Gaggal airport at Kangra in Himachal Pradesh has been opened for routine flights.
The information was revealed by Gaggal airport district Dhirender Singh. The development is expected to provide a major boost to the tourism and travel industry stakeholders as their prime summer business season has already started.
In response to rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the central government had earlier issued a high alert for Himachal Pradesh and suspended all flights from the three airports in Himachal Pradesh until May 15.
The advisory, which affected domestic air operations, had led to the cancellation of all scheduled flights to and from the airports in Kangra, Kullu and Shimla.
IndiGo Airlines had then confirmed the suspension of flights operating to and from Dharamshala (Kangra) till May 15.
The move is part of a broader precautionary effort under Operation Sindoor, which has led to the temporary closure of 25 airports across the country, including those in Himachal.
While Himachal has no international airports, its three domestic terminals — Jubbarhatti (Shimla), Bhuntar (Kullu) and Gaggal (Kangra) — play a crucial role in connecting the hill state with key northern cities.
Though limited in capacity, these airports serve as important gateways for tourists. The suspension of flights has started impacting tourism, especially with summer vacations underway.
Flights from Delhi, Amritsar, Dehradun, Jaipur and Chandigarh typically operate to and from these airports. For instance, Kullu’s Bhuntar airport handles an average three daily flights, mostly small ATR aircraft, with about 80 to 90 passengers arriving or departing each day.
Shimla airport receives one small aircraft from Delhi daily, carrying around 40 passengers, and sees connecting flights to Dharamshala and Amritsar several times a week.
Gaggal airport in Kangra also sees flights from Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla. All operations had been suspended, halting air connectivity to the region.
While road transport remains the primary mode of travel within Himachal, the loss of air service was a significant setback for time-bound travellers and tourists.
Sunil Chadha
