Shimla, Dec 2( UNI) In a striking setback to India's regional connectivity push, the Centre has told the Rajya Sabha that UDAN scheme has come to a standstill at every major airport in Himachal Pradesh, leaving Shimla, Kullu-Manali, and Dharamshala without any operational air service.
The disclosure marks a stark departure from the 2017 promise of "Hawai Chappal wearing citizens flying in Hawai Jahaj", a narrative popularised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while unveiling the regional connectivity initiative.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, in a written reply to the Upper House, confirmed that the three high-altitude airports are among 15 UDAN-revived airstrips across the country where flight operations are currently suspended. The government cited a mix of commercial, operational, and infrastructural constraints behind the halt.
Shimla airport, touted as a flagship UDAN success when flights were relaunched with much fanfare, has again fallen silent. Despite over Rs 116 crore spent under the scheme to sustain operations, services were suspended recently owing to runway limitations, payload restrictions, and the withdrawal of airlines.
Kullu-Manali and Dharamshala airports, both vital gateways for Himachal's tourism-driven economy, also face persistent challenges. Frequent weather disruptions, high operating costs for airlines, and limited aircraft capacity suited for mountainous terrain have made operations under UDAN commercially unviable.
The written reply placed Himachal Pradesh in the same bracket as states such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka, where several revived airports, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Pakyong, Kushinagar, Rourkela, Bhavnagar, and others, currently have no scheduled services despite earlier operationalisation under UDAN.
The revelation comes even as the government highlighted the broader achievements of the scheme, stating that a total of 651 routes and 93 unserved and underserved airports, along with 15 heliports and two water aerodromes, have been added to India's aviation map.
However, for hill states like Himachal, the grounding of all UDAN flights represents a significant setback. The scheme, envisioned to democratise air travel and support regional economies, had offered hope of year-round connectivity in a region where landslides, snowbound passes, and long road journeys often hinder mobility.
With the "Hawai Chappal" vision on pause in the hills, the Ministry has indicated that revival of services will depend on airlines' willingness, financial feasibility, and efforts to resolve the infrastructure and operational hurdles that have repeatedly disrupted aviation in the region.