Chandigarh, March 9: The Union government stated on Monday that while the development of air routes in Punjab rests with individual airlines, significant infrastructure has been established through the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) to facilitate growth. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol affirmed that airlines operate in a deregulated environment, allowing them to determine flight paths and capacity based on market demand.
The statement was issued in the Rajya Sabha following an inquiry by AAP MP Sandeep Kumar Pathak regarding efforts to bolster domestic and international travel from hubs like Amritsar and Chandigarh. Mohol noted that since the 1994 repeal of the Air Corporations Act, carriers have been free to deploy aircraft according to their own business considerations.
To support this expansion, the government has focused on the UDAN scheme, which aims to integrate smaller cities into the national aviation grid. Four specific sites in Punjab—Ludhiana, Bathinda, Pathankot, and Adampur—were identified for upgrades to support regional operations.
“All four airports have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme to facilitate regional air connectivity,” Mohol stated.
The financial commitment to these projects varied, with Adampur receiving the largest investment at 125.60 crore. Pathankot and Ludhiana were developed with 5.18 crore and 12.80 crore respectively, while 3.04 crore was allocated to Bathinda. Officials declared that these investments are intended to make air travel more accessible by subsidizing less-served routes.
