India, Dec. 31 -- Determined to sustain itshard-earned 'international airport' tag, Shaheed Bhagat SinghInternational Airport, operated by Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), is pushing for the launch of new overseas routes. Currently, the airport, which began round-the-clock operations in April 2019, operates only two international flights - to Dubai and Abu Dhabi - alongside 56 domestic flights to major Indian cities. Inaugurated on September 15, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the new terminal has been built at an estimated cost of Rs.1,400 crore. The Punjab and Haryana high court has also questioned CHIAL as to why no new international flights are being added. While non-availability of instrument landing system (ILS), which allows theairport to operate in dense fog conditions, was cited as a major obstacle in starting long-haul flights to Europe and theUnited States of America, this had been resolved by installing CAT-II (ILS) in March 2023. Why it matters: Direct overseas flights would boost regional business, tourism, and reduce dependency on Delhi airport. Challenges: Absence of Point of Call (PoC) status under India's bilateral aviation agreements, without which foreigncarriers cannot launch scheduled flights directly from an airport. Where it stands: Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has written to the ministry of civil aviation and Airports Authority of India (AAI), urging for the grant of PoC status. CHIAL is actively pursuing Indian-origin airlines to start direct operationsto London, Singapore, Bangkok, and Malaysia. A Chandigarh-Singapore service by IndiGo was expected to be part of thewinter schedule starting October 29, but it failed to materialise due to technical issues....