Shimla, Jan. 21 -- Giving wings to the tourism industry, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday launched helicopter services from the Sanjauli Heliport in Shimla, marking a significant milestone in strengthening air connectivity and promoting tourism in Himachal Pradesh.

With this inauguration, daily helicopter flights have commenced from Sanjauli Heliport to Bhuntar Airport in Kullu and to the ITBP Helipad at Reckong-Peo throughout the week. Additionally, helicopter services between Chandigarh and Sanjauli Heliport will operate three days a week, viz, on Monday, Friday and Saturday.

The helicopter fare on the Sanjauli-Kullu route has been fixed at Rs 3,500 per passenger, while the fare for the Sanjauli-Reckong Peo route has been set at Rs 4,000 per passenger. The fare from Sanjauli to Chandigarh has been fixed at Rs 3,169 per passenger.

The CM informed that helicopter services on the Sanjauli-Rampur-Reckong Peo and Sanjauli-Manali (SASE Helipad) routes would also be started soon. Proposals for these routes have already been submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for approval of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

In his speech, Sukhu expressed hope that these services would greatly benefit stakeholders associated with the tourism sector. He said that the operation of flights from Sanjauli Heliport had been awaited for a long time and that this long-pending demand had finally been fulfilled. The new services will provide faster, safer, and more convenient connectivity for tourists as well as the general public.

Sukhu said the Sanjauli Heliport was located close to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, which would make it extremely useful during medical emergencies.

He reiterated that the state government was making continuous efforts to promote tourism, as Himachal Pradesh is renowned globally as a major tourist destination. The introduction of helicopter services will not only improve access to key tourist destinations but will also strengthen the overall air connectivity network in the state.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.