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 only three 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. The state government is in the process of expanding the airport and has acquired around 150 hectares for about Rs.3,500 crore. Chief minister 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. Few flights from Bhuntar 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 with flights to Amritsar and Dehradun thrice a week, and flights to Jaipur twice a week. Alliance Air is expected to resume operations on the Chandigarh-Kullu route from December 16. Flights to Chandigarh will operate three days a week - Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flights on this route were suspended in November 2023. 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 last year, but nothing has moved on the ground after that....