Union Health Minister J P Nadda along with senior BJP leaders from Himachal Pradesh today met the Civil Aviation minister seeking improved air connectivity to the state as well as early start of regular flights to Shimla airport.
Nadda, who submitted a memorandum on the issue, urged that the civil aviation ministry should immediately start helicopter services for passengers from Chandigarh to Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh.
"The Civil aviation ministry should also invite the private players to start heli taxi services from Chandigarh to Himachal Pradesh as this is a viable method of improving air connectivity without further delay," an official release from the ministry said.
Nadda was accompanied by senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar and Members of Parliament from the state, Ram Swarup Sharma, Virendra Kashyap and Bimla Kashyap Sood.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Minister assured the delegation that these matters would be taken up on high priority basis.
"Improved air connectivity is must for Himachal Pradesh in view of the large inflow of tourists as well as for putting it on the development map," Nadda said.
The memorandum sought immediate resumption of smaller ATR-42 Type flights between Delhi and Shimla as the existing runway has been approved by the experts for such operation.
He also thanked the Civil Aviation minister for accepting the long pending demand of starting refueling of aircrafts at the Kangra airport after being informed at the meeting that this would start in a couple of weeks' time.
Refueling of aircrafts at airport in Kangra would help to remove restrictions on payload factor. The result would be more passengers can be carried in the same aircraft, the minister said.
The delegation also demanded for immediate intervention of the civil aviation ministry for starting ATR-72 Type of aircraft operation, without load penalty at airport in Kangra.
Regarding the Kullu airport, Nadda suggested that the the ministry may depute specialised organisations like Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) as consultants to find out viable engineering solution for extension of the airport's runway strip.
