The Himachal Pradesh High Court has summoned the secretary of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to explain through videoconferencing why the state has received what it termed as 'step-motherly treatment' regarding air connectivity benefits for Shimla airport under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), also known as Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN).
Court Proceedings and Directions
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi issued the directions while hearing a public interest litigation that highlighted inadequate air connectivity in the hill state. When the Deputy Solicitor General of India requested that the secretary be permitted to join the proceedings through videoconferencing, the bench emphasized that this request only highlighted the difficulty for a senior bureaucrat from New Delhi to travel to Shimla without proper air connectivity. The court permitted the secretary to appear via videoconferencing and scheduled the next hearing for May 6, noting the urgency as Alliance Air has agreed in principle to resume operations from that date.
Hardships Faced by Residents
The court underscored the hardships faced by residents, who must undertake an arduous eight-hour road journey to Delhi via Chandigarh. It stressed the importance of air connectivity for a state heavily dependent on tourism. 'It is the bounden duty of the Union of India to provide adequate connectivity to the people who wish to visit the hill state,' the bench underlined.
Government Affidavits and Allocations
The division bench examined an affidavit filed by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, which stated that the Centre allocated Rs 116.7 crore for the development of Shimla airport and Rs 37.3 crore for Kullu airport under UDAN. However, the affidavit did not specify the amount spent on Kangra airport, though it noted that Kangra is connected to Delhi and Chandigarh with around 50 weekly flights operated by IndiGo and SpiceJet.
Kullu airport, according to the affidavit, has 16 weekly flights connecting it to Dehradun, Delhi, and Jaipur through Alliance Air. The affidavit acknowledged that Shimla had no scheduled flights, as Alliance Air suspended operations due to aircraft shortages, though services might resume subject to availability. It stated that these airports are suitable only for smaller aircraft such as ATR-42, ATR-72, and Q400, and that airlines operate on routes based on commercial viability.
State Government's Response
In contrast, the affidavit filed by the state government's Special Secretary (Tourism and Civil Aviation) emphasized that Shimla remains the only state capital in the country not connected under UDAN. It also pointed out that the modified UDAN scheme announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 excluded Shimla, with no routes allocated for Delhi-Shimla or Shimla-Dharamshala sectors. The state government added that its limited financial capacity makes it difficult to sustain viability gap funding for long, although it has already provided Rs 32.6 crore as viability gap fund under a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Alliance Air on April 5 this year.
Conclusion
The court's intervention underscores the critical need for improved air connectivity in Himachal Pradesh, particularly for its capital city Shimla, which remains underserved despite being a major tourist destination. The next hearing on May 6 will be crucial in determining the future of air services in the region.
