Despite a sharp rise in tourist arrivals over the years, poor and unreliable air connectivity continues to remain a major hurdle in attracting high-end tourists to the state. Shimla is perhaps the only state capital in the country without dependable and regular air services. Himachal has three airports at Gaggal in Kangra, Bhuntar in Kullu and Jubbarhatti near Shimla but flight operations remain erratic and unreliable. While adverse weather conditions are partly responsible for unreliable flight operations, airline operators have also shown reluctance to operate in the state due to the absence of year-round passenger traffic, rendering several routes economically unviable.
The state government has consistently attempted to improve air connectivity, which is considered essential for promoting tourism, but the desired results have remained elusive. As part of these efforts, around 55 helipads have been constructed in the state. However, airline operators have largely been unwilling to run services on these routes.
Plans to establish a greenfield airport at Nagchala in the Balh valley of Mandi district has failed to materialise and the focus has now shifted to extending the runway at the Gaggal airport to facilitate the landing of Boeing aircraft. Intervention by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh recently, however, raised hopes in the tourism industry. The court directed the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to ensure regular air connectivity to Shimla, pointing out that several smaller towns elsewhere in the country enjoyed better air links.
Following this, ATR-42 aircraft resumed operations on the Shimla-Delhi route from the Jubbarhatti airport on May 12. However, uncertainty remains over the long-term continuation of the service. Though the state government offers a viability gap funding to shield the airlines from potential losses, particularly on the Shimla-Delhi route, private operators have shown little enthusiasm for operating flights in the hill state. The High Court has also directed the Civil Aviation Ministry to explore the possibility of operating larger aircraft at the airports in Himachal, which could help reduce airfares that often become prohibitively expensive.
At present, Pawan Hans operates helicopter services on the Chandigarh-Shimla-Chandigarh route thrice a week from the Sanjauli helipad near Dhalli, on the outskirts of Shimla under the UDAN-II scheme of the Central Government. However, the helicopters can accommodate only up to six passengers, falling far short of the demand from both tourists and local residents. There is also growing demand for increasing the frequency of these services.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) had spent around Rs 8 crore in 2019 on the re-carpeting of the runway and providing refuelling facilities at the Jubbarhatti airport. The runway length was also extended from 1,189 metres to 1,800 metres while its width was increased from 23 metres to 30 metres to enable ATR-72 aircraft operations instead of ATR-42 planes. However, regular services are yet to commence.
With limited air connectivity and negligible rail infrastructure, tourists travelling to Himachal remain heavily dependent on long and often exhausting road journeys. Though the work to widen the Parwanoo-Shimla and Pathankot-Mandi highways to four lanes have improved road travel, the need for reliable and regular air connectivity remains critical.
The state government is also keen on introducing twin-engine helicopters with a seating capacity of up to 25 passengers on routes connecting Shimla with Chandigarh, Kinnaur, Kullu-Manali and Dharamsala. Officials believe this will reduce fares and encourage a greater use of helicopter services by locals as well as tourists.
Himachal’s tourism sector, which suffered a severe setback during the Covid-19 pandemic when tourist arrivals had nearly dropped to zero, has witnessed a strong recovery since then. The tourist arrivals increased from 1.81 crore in 2024 to 3.11 crore after the introduction of a separate category for pilgrims under religious tourism. In 2024, the state recorded a 13.24 per cent increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2023, when the figure stood at 1.60 crore.
