As the Halwara International Airport, which began operations on May 15, completed a month of operations on Monday, locals urged the state government to add more flights to the roster.
The airport was abuzz with activity to mark the milestone, including applying tilak on passengers and singing Vande Mataram.
Sonu Neelibar, who was travelling from Halwara to Delhi, described it as “joyous moment”. “The air connectivity is saving us a lot of time, something we had been waiting for. The Centre and the state government need to rope in more airlines so additional flights can operate to new destinations,” he added.
Another passenger, who will fly to Delhi tomorrow, said she had to avoid travel earlier because of a back issue. “I was thinking about how to start travelling and now, the flights are convenient,” she said.
On Monday, a few doctors from the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) also flew out to Delhi, pointing to the benefits of the time saved by the air connectivity.
A woman, aged about 80, arrived at Halwara with her son and was being brought out in a wheelchair by the staff. A first-time flyer, she said it was a “very good experience”.
Another passenger said he came to Delhi from Mumbai and then to Halwara. According to the passenger, if he and his companions had to travel from Delhi by car or train, it would have been hectic.
