Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 1 Oct: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday virtually inaugurated the Pithoragarh-Munsyari-Pithoragarh and Haldwani-Almora-Haldwani helicopter services from his official residence, here, under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN). He said that the launch of these air services would greatly facilitate the movement of citizens living in remote regions of the state.
The Chief Minister stated that Almora and Munsyari are among the ancient towns of Uttarakhand, holding immense historical and cultural significance. These towns attract tourists from across India and abroad due to their natural beauty, historic temples, and rich cultural heritage. With the commencement of these helicopter services, tourists will now be able to reach Almora and Munsyari more easily. The travel time between Haldwani and Almora will be reduced from 3–4 hours to just a few minutes. The services will boost tourism and economic development in both regions.
The Chief Minister added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the visionary UDAN scheme, which has played a pivotal role in strengthening air connectivity in the state. Under this initiative, several airstrips and heliports have been developed across Uttarakhand. He added that work is underway to operate heli services from 18 heliports, out of which 12 are already operational.
He further said that heli services have already connected key locations such as Gauchar, Joshiada, Haldwani, Munsyari, Mussoorie, Pithoragarh, Pantnagar, Champawat, Bageshwar, Nainital, and Almora. He assured that more important regions will be connected through heli services in the near future.
Along with strengthening air connectivity within the state, continuous efforts are also being made to expand international flight operations in order to establish Uttarakhand as a prominent global destination. Work is in progress to develop Jolly Grant and Pantnagar airports for international air services.
It is worth noting that the Pithoragarh-Munsyari-Pithoragarh and Haldwani-Almora-Haldwani helicopter services will operate seven days a week, with two flights per day on each route.
Flight Schedule: Pithoragarh to Munsyari: 10:30 a.m. & 1:50 p.m.; Munsyari to Pithoragarh: 10:50 a.m. & 2:10 p.m.; Haldwani to Almora: 11:50 a.m. & 3:10 p.m.; Almora to Haldwani: 12:50 p.m. & 4:10 p.m.
The fare for these air services is Rs 2500, and passengers can book tickets online via https://airheritage.in/.
Secretary, UKADA, Sachin Kurve, CEO, UKADA, Ashish Chauhan, and other officials were present at the programme.
