Dharamshala, Dec. 11 -- Shimla's UDAN flights to Delhi and Dharamshala were grounded in September with officials stating that the service will remain suspended till December 31. The UDAN flights are operated by Alliance Air, the only airline providing services from Jubbarhatti airport. "The UDAN scheme agreement between the airline, the Centre and the state ended in September, though we continued operations for a few days afterward. The matter is between the state and the central governments. Our flight operations from Jubbarhatti to Delhi, Dharamshala and Amritsar remain suspended until December 31," an Alliance Air official said, requesting anonymity. For the Shimla-Dharamshala service, the state government provides a viability gap funding (VGF), a financial support given to the airlines to bridge the gap between operational costs and affordable ticket prices on regional routes. "However, our operations from Kullu to Jaipur, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Amritsar remain operational, as does the Dharamshala-Delhi route," the airline representative said, adding that the suspension is attributed to factors like runway limitations, weather disruptions and high operational costs. Due to the 1.1-km runway, only ATR 42 aircraft can land at the airport and expansion is not possible given the table-top location. The suspension of flights to Delhi and Kangra has hit tourism. "Flights help save time, but this year, tourism has plummeted since May followed by the devastating monsoon. For tourism to grow, connectivity remains key," says Shimla-based travel agent Vasu Dev Bhatt. Former deputy advocate general Vinay Sharma, who belongs to Kangra and works in Shimla, says, "I used to be a frequent traveller for it took me just 20 minutes, but now it takes eight hours to commute between the two cities. Earlier, I could go home every weekend, but now I head to Kangra once a month. There are many suffering due to the suspension of flights." Kangra airport, the largest in Himachal Pradesh, has seen a steady rise in passenger footfall over the past five years. The airport handles three to five flights a day. Due to a shorter runway, only 72-seater aircraft can take off from the airstrip. It is connected to Shimla, Delhi, and Chandigarh though Alliance Air flights have been temporarily suspended to the state capital. The state government is in the process of expanding the airport and has acquired around 150 hectares, and the cost of land acquisition is pegged at Rs.3,500 crore. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that Rs.460 crore has been released and additional funds will be given shortly. The expansion aims to increase the runway length from 1.3km to 3km. This is crucial for accommodating larger aircraft like Airbus A320. Kangra airport saw its highest-ever passenger footfall in 2024, crossing the 2 lakh mark. The airport recorded a movement of 1.93 lakh passengers in 2023, and 1.76 lakh passengers in 2022. The airport at Bhuntar, 50km from Manali, is a critical gateway for tourism-driven economies in Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Alliance Air is the only airline operating flights to Delhi, Dehradun, Jaipur and Amritsar from Bhuntar. "All are under the UDAN scheme except the Delhi flight," an Alliance Air representative said. The frequency varies as the airport operates 10 flights per week. "Typically there is one flight per day except on Sundays, with two flights on some days depending on the airline schedule," said an official. Currently, Alliance Air's operations on the Chandigarh-Kullu route remain suspended. There was no immediate communication from the carrier on resumption of operations. Due to its 1-km runway, the airport accommodates ATR-42 and ATR-72 aircraft. The government had proposed to increase the runway's length to 1.7km, but nothing has moved on the ground after that....