Flyers from tricity will have direct connectivity to Hisar, Dharamshala and Jammu as the summer schedule comes into force at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport from March 31.

Alliance Air is set to connect the region to Dharamshala and Hisar, while IndiGo will link the tricity to Jammu. With this, the total number of destinations served will expand from 16 in the winter schedule to 18, reinforcing the airport’s position as a key aviation hub in the region.

However, the lone international link for the airport remains the Dubai flight, as no new international flight has been introduced in the summer schedule. The Sharjah flight was already discontinued in October 2023. There is also no progress on the much-anticipated direct flight to London, initially planned for launch in October 2022. The proposed route aimed to connect Mohali with either Heathrow Airport in London or Birmingham Airport.

From March 31, the airport will witness an increase from the existing 74 flights in the winter schedule to a total of 96 flights in summer — comprising 48 arrivals and 48 departures.

The airport already caters to several major routes, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Leh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Patna, Pune and Srinagar. But the flight to North Goa (MOPA) will be discontinued.

Also, currently hosting four airlines — IndiGo, Vistara, AirIndia and Alliance Air, the airport will welcome a new player, Akasa Airlines, in the summer schedule.

In a noteworthy development, six aircraft (five of IndiGo, one of Vistara) are slated to take a night halt at the airport during summer, an increase from five (four of IndiGo, one of Vistara) in the existing winter arrangement, showcasing the airport’s growing importance in regional air travel.

The airport, formerly known as Chandigarh International Airport, is a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Punjab and Haryana governments, holds a significant role in the region’s aviation landscape. With a ₹485-crore investment, Punjab and Haryana each have a 24.5% stake, while the AAI maintains a majority share of 51%. Punjab had given 307-acre land in Mohali for the airport project. The airport runway is located in Chandigarh while the international terminal is located on the south side of the runway in Jhiurheri village, Mohali.

The airport was renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in September 2022, commemorating the freedom fighter’s 115th birth anniversary. The increased flight operations and connectivity are expected to not only benefit passengers but also contribute to the economic development of the region served by the airport.