With the Chardham yatra season all set to begin next month, the Uttarakhand government is trying to rope in more airlines to strengthen air services in the hill state.
Though Kingfisher is regularly operating two flights from Jollygrant to New Delhi, top officials here said the exact picture would become clear only after the summer schedule, which comes into effect on March 30.
Indian Airlines Express has applied for a licence with the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) to operate a regular service from Dehra Dun. “We are expecting a positive response from the DGCA in this regard,” an airport official said.
Air Deccan is also planning to operate an airbus service. A decision is expected by March end on the new plans of airline, which has also sought permission from the DGCA.
The sources said there was a good scope for expansion of air services from Jollygrant especially during the summer season when the pilgrimage to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines, collectively called Chardham yatra, begins next month. Nearly 1.5 million pilgrims visit the Chardham centres every year.
Similarly, from Jollygrant, a move is afoot to start helicopter services to some of the pilgrim centres, especially Badrinath and Kedarnath.
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Officials said the Centre has also promised to start a cargo service for Dehra Dun airport, which is one of the 35 metro-airports in the country.
The officials are also in touch with MDLR airline, which stopped its operation last year. Once new airlines start operation, the officials also expect the airfares to get cheaper.
Meanwhile, the government is also trying to complete a road connecting airport with the new terminal building, which was inaugurated by civil aviation minister Praful Patel last month. A forest clearance in this regard is awaited. “Till the road is completed, the terminal building would be of no use,” an official said.
The Jollygrant airport at Dehra Dun has been upgraded by Airports Authority of India (AAI) for operation of Boeing-737/Airbus-320 class of aircraft considering traffic potential and requirement projected by airlines. For this purpose, the government acquired land and spent Rs 100 crore for the modernisation work.
The airport also has the night landing facility. The newly constructed airstrip is now 7000 meter long and 150 meter wide.