The Centre has informed Parliament that the proposed expansion of Kangra Airport in Himachal Pradesh is awaiting the transfer of 369.82 acres of land by the state government, while runway extensions at Shimla and Kullu (Bhuntar) airports are not feasible due to topographical and land constraints.
Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a proposal for the expansion of Kangra Airport following a request from the Himachal Pradesh government. However, the project cannot proceed until the required land is handed over by the state government.
The minister clarified that expanding the existing airports at Shimla (Jubbarhatti) and Kullu (Bhuntar), including runway extensions, is not technically viable because of the region’s challenging terrain, geographical limitations and land availability issues.
The government also outlined the current air connectivity in Himachal Pradesh. Shimla Airport is presently connected to Delhi and Dharamshala, Kangra Airport operates flights to Delhi, Jewar, Chandigarh and Shimla, while Kullu Airport is connected to Amritsar, Delhi and Jaipur. It added that 40 routes have been operationalised in the state under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN to improve regional air connectivity.
On requests for additional flights, the Centre reiterated that domestic aviation is a deregulated sector and decisions on launching new routes or increasing flight frequencies rest with airlines based on operational and commercial viability, subject to the government’s Route Dispersal Guidelines.