Ludhiana, April 8 -- Even before the first commercial flight takes off from Halwara airport, a credit war has broken out between the Centre and the Punjab government. While the terminal was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February, commercial operations are set to begin on May 15, 2026. This pre-launch phase has been marred by conflicting announcements from Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu and Punjab cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora, leaving the public guessing about the actual schedule. The dispute centres on how Air India will connect Ludhiana to the national capital. On April 6, Bittu claimed a victory for the local industry by announcing a "revised schedule". He said the morning flight will depart New Delhi at 7:55am and arrive at Halwara at 9:45am, with a return at 10:25am. He also promised a second afternoon rotation, departing Delhi at 12:55pm and leaving Halwara at 2:40pm. However, on Wednesday, state industries and power minister Arora publicly questioned these claims, terming them "misleading". Arora said that the schedule remains fixed to the early morning slot of a 5:55am departure from Delhi. While Arora only became a state minister in July 2025, he has been a Rajya Sabha member since 2022 and claims to have steered the project through persistent follow-ups with the ministry of civil aviation and Air India over the past three years. The new Halwara civil terminal, built at a cost of about Rs.54 crore, comes as a relief for Ludhiana's travellers. Since major commercial services at the nearby Sahnewal airport were discontinued in 2014 due to a short runway, Ludhiana has been without a flight link for over a decade. Located 32km from Ludhiana city, the revamped Halwara facility is a significant upgrade. It features a 2,000-square-metre terminal and a runway capable of handling large aircraft like the Airbus A320-a stark contrast to the small, 19-seater aircraft that occasionally served the region under previous regional connectivity schemes....