Question : Operations at Shimla Airport

(a) whether the Government has any plan to construct airports at every State Capital for international flights, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether Shimla airport is non-functional for the last four years, if so, the reasons therefor;

(c) whether the Government has any plan to re-start flights from the airport, if so, the time by which it is likely to be done; and

(d) whether there is any proposal of the Government to construct airport of international capacity in Shimla or near Shimla so as to connect Himachal Pradesh capital with air service and if so, the details thereof?

Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION

(Dr Mahesh Sharma)

(a): At present, there is no such plan.

(b) & (c): Shimla airport is an operational airport and presently nonscheduled flights operate to and from Shimla. However, there are no scheduled aircraft operations at Shimla Airport since October 2012 due to various operational, topographical and security constraints including reduction in basic strip of runway length due to hilly terrain, inadequate runway end-safety area, absence of Viability Gap Funding by the State Government, etc. Airports Authority of India has completed runway recarpeting
work and has undertaken widening of runway including prevention of soil erosion to make the Airport fit for operation of ATR-42 type of aircrafts. However, flight operations in domestic sector are guided by the Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) issued by the Government and it is upto the airline operators to provide air services to specific places depending upon the traffic demand and commercial viability and their company policy.

(d): At present, there is no such proposal.