Helicopter taxi service launched between Shimla and Chandigarh

SHIMLA: Union minister of civil aviation Suresh Prabhu on Thursday launched the UDAN-II scheme for the nation by flagging off the helicopter flight through video conference from Shimla to Chandigarh from Jubbarhatti airport, near Shimla. Under UDAN-II, helicopter service will take off at 10 am from Chandigarh and reach Shimla at 10.30 am. It would take off at 10.55 am from Shimla and reach Chandigarh at 11.25 am.Initially, it would be a three-day flight in a week but after fortnight it would have six flights in a week. One way fare would be Rs 2880 and would ensure that common man could also take benefit of this service.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said that State has 63 helipads and that two heliports were coming up at Shimla and at Kangnidhar in Mandi district. He said that OLS survey has been carried out for construction of airport in Mandi district.
He said that apart from Shimla-Chandigarh, UDAN-II scheme would also cover flights between Shimla-Kullu and Shimla-Dharamshala. This would ensure that all the major tourist destinations and circuits of the State get air connectivity, he added.
He said this would not only promote tourism activities in the region in a big way but also give boost to economic activities in the State. He thanked Union Minister for providing all possible help for strengthening air connectivity in the State.
Additional chief secretary (Tourism) Ram Subhag Singh said that six day helicopter service in a week would be operational from Shimla to Chandigarh for the tourists and other commuters under UDAN-II.
While addressing the people through video conference from New Delhi, Suresh Prabhu said that UDAN-II scheme would not only provide better air connectivity to the people of Himachal Pradesh, but would also help in providing convenient, comfortable and fast commutation facilities to the people at the time of illness and other emergencies. He said that UDAN-I was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2017.
He said that UDAN-II would also give a big boost to the tourism development as there was a vast tourism potential in the State to attract domestic as well as foreign tourists.