Punjab Newsline, New Delhi, November 27-
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha from Punjab highlighted the lack of direct flights connecting Punjab to several key states across the country. During the ongoing session, Chadha questioned what he perceived as apparent discrimination against the state in terms of aviation connectivity.
Responding to the concerns, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, stated that the Indian domestic aviation sector has been deregulated since 1994. This deregulation allows airlines the freedom to select their routes and markets based on commercial considerations and compliance with government-issued guidelines, such as Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDGs) and airport slot allocations.
Mohol also addressed the development of Adampur Airport in Punjab under the UDAN scheme. The airport, built with an investment of 124.91 crore, has seen the launch of flights connecting Adampur to Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Hindon. These flights were introduced as part of efforts to improve regional connectivity.
On the question of international flights, Mohol explained that operations are governed by bilateral ASA's between India and other countries.