Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has requested the Union government to enhance air connectivity from Dehradun to Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya. In response, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu informed that Dehradun currently operates 254 weekly round-trip flights to various destinations, including major cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Lucknow.
India’s domestic aviation sector operates on a fully deregulated basis, allowing airlines the freedom to decide on aircraft types, routes, and markets independently. While individual airlines have the final say on initiating or expanding services, the Civil Aviation Ministry has forwarded Uttarakhand’s request for new or enhanced flight services to the concerned domestic airlines.
Chief Minister Dhami expressed optimism about the potential development, highlighting the Central Government’s continuous support under PM Modi’s guidance to expand air services in Uttarakhand. The proposed direct flight routes to Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya are crucial for the state, catering to the religious travel needs of numerous devotees seeking direct connectivity to these holy cities.
The initiative is expected to significantly reduce travel time and enhance convenience for pilgrims and passengers alike. Uttarakhand authorities have been collaborating with the central government to strengthen air connectivity, especially to remote hill areas and major pilgrimage sites. The anticipated boost in tourism, religious travel, and economic activity following the operationalization of new routes is a shared goal of both state and central administrations.
