CHANDIGARH: In a boost to the air connectivity and tourism in Himachal Pradesh, the heli taxi services connecting Shimla with Kullu, Reckong Peo in Kinnaur, and Chandigarh have started from today.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated helicopter services from the Sanjauli Heliport in Shimla.
With this inauguration, daily helicopter flights have commenced from Sanjauli Heliport to Bhuntar Airport in Kullu and to the ITBP Helipad at Reckong-Peo throughout the week.
Additionally, helicopter services between Chandigarh and Sanjauli Heliport will operate three days a week, viz: on Monday, Friday and Saturday.
The helicopter fare on the Sanjauli–Kullu route has been fixed at Rs 3,500 per passenger, while the fare for the Sanjauli–Reckong Peo route has been set at Rs 4,000 per passenger.
The fare from Sanjauli to Chandigarh has been fixed at Rs 3,169 per passenger.
Sukhu said that helicopter services on the Sanjauli-Rampur-Reckong Peo and Sanjauli-Manali (SASE Helipad) routes would also be started soon.
Proposals for these routes have already been submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for approval of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
He expressed hope that these services would greatly benefit stakeholders associated with the tourism sector.
He said that the operation of flights from Sanjauli Heliport had been awaited for a long time and that this long-pending demand had finally been fulfilled.
The new services will provide faster, safer and more convenient connectivity for tourists as well as the general public.
He further stated that the Sanjauli Heliport was located close to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, which would make it extremely useful during medical emergencies.
He reiterated that the State Government was making continuous efforts to promote tourism, as Himachal Pradesh is renowned globally as a major tourist destination.
The introduction of helicopter services will not only improve access to key tourist destinations but will also strengthen the overall air connectivity network in the state.
Emphasizing the State Government’s focus on tourism promotion, Sukhu said that heliports were being constructed at every district headquarters as well as at other prominent tourist destinations.
He added that construction work on four heliports at Jaskot in Hamirpur district, Rakkar and Palampur in Kangra district, and Chamba which will be completed by March-April, with Rs 15 crore being spent on each heliport.
These heliports will encourage high-end tourists to visit Himachal Pradesh more frequently, thereby increasing income and employment opportunities for local people.
He stated that the present State Government was focused on creating essential infrastructure for both residents and tourists. He alleged that the previous BJP Government had wasted nearly Rs 1,000 crore on the construction of buildings that remained unutilized and vacant.
The foundation stone of the Sanjauli Heliport was laid on September 13, 2017, during the tenure of the Congress Government.
The heliport has been constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 15.86 crore. Although it was inaugurated on January 12, 2022, operations could not begin earlier due to the absence of DGCA clearance.
The permission to operate flights was finally granted on August 7 last year.
Prior to this, the DGCA and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security conducted several inspections, and all security-related observations were duly addressed by the State Government.