Nestling in the great snow-clad Himalayas, Shimla is a beauteous hill town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is a frequented holiday destination that is elevated at a height of 7,217 feet above the sea level. Holidaymakers from all directions adore spending a vacation in the laps of nature in the hill town of Shimla.
Being a hill town, it can be reached either by railways or roadways. Traveling to this bewitching hill-station is a long journey. In order to reduce the hassle of traveling for longer hours, an airport near Shimla was constructed so that tourists can easily reach the destination.
However, the lack of funds led to its closure. The last flight that flew from Shimla Airport was in the year 2012. After its closure, it became a liability without any utilization. This resulted in the downfall of tourism and thus, a petition was filed to re-open it. After a span of 4 long years, Shimla Airport has been opened once again.
Image Source : https://www.wikimedia.org
It is neither a wrestler nor a celebrity that is making a huge comeback. But, the zeal behind its comeback has brought a Cheshire cat smile on many faces. Not only a smile, but it has also increased the level of comfort. Yes, we're talking about the reopening of Shimla Airport. You read that right! This airport is functional from June 2016 and has successfully completed a year this June.
Since the scheduled flights didn't land or take off from here, it was rarely utilized for the flights by the private jets. This resulted in a huge downfall in the tourism as many tourists were unable to reach Shimla. Kingfisher Airlines was the last to fly from Shimla Airport. For a span of 4 years, there was no annual growth in the tourism of Shimla, though the airports of Kullu and Dharamshala were functional.
When the tourism industry of the beauteous hill town Shimla experienced a blow, a petition was filed in the court. In the petition, it was mentioned that why the airport is not operational and how much time it will require becoming operational again.
IIC Technologies Limited, a well-known organization in the country, commenced with the flight schedule. It included the round trip to Chandigarh-Shimla-Chandigarh and Dharamshala-Shimla-Dharamshala. Due to the re-opening of this airport, the level of convenience has been increased as tourists would be able to reach Shimla within an hour.
Image Source : http://www.himachaltravelblog.com
An issue was raised with the Airport Authority of India about the development of the airstrip. The present-day CM of Himachal Pradesh and state tourism minister Vijai Mankotia raised it and demanded the possibilities of landing the bigger aircraft. It was also kept in mind while making the changes.
Shimla Airport became completely functional on 9th June 2016. This news was the happiest news for Shimla as after a long time, its airport was revived with the scheduled flights. The hospitality industry of Shimla has benefitted the most since the lost downfall has once again has returned. Moreover, the elite class of tourists that doesnt prefer to travel for long hours has also benefitted. Thus, a lot of time is saved in traveling to and fro Shimla after the airport has restarted.
UDAN scheme was launched on 27 April 2017 by the PM Narendra Modi at Jubbarhatti Airport of Shimla. In order to increase the footfall, the price of the tickets under this scheme is affordable. By paying an amount of 2,500 INR, an individual can board the flight to Shimla.
The re-opening of Shimla Airport is a laudable step of the government. The loss faced due to its closure has been recovered to a great extent. Instead of making Shimla Airport a liability without utility, it has again turned operational for the scheduled flights. The flights are scheduled for 5 days i.e. Wednesday-Sunday. By spending a minimal amount, you can conveniently reach the hill town of Shimla.
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