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Congress MP Manish Tewari has urged the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to designate the Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh International Airport in Mohali as a ‘Point of Call’ (POC) for international airlines, allowing foreign carriers to operate from the airport.
In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Tewari highlighted that the airport serves Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, with a large number of international travellers using it for both work and tourism. However, he noted that despite its importance, the airport is not listed on the ‘Bilateral Offer List,’ which is a prerequisite for foreign airlines to operate flights in and out of the facility.
Expressing concern over the omission, Tewari called for the inclusion of Chandigarh airport in the list of 18 airports in India that enjoy POC status, alongside major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. He emphasised that such a move would significantly boost international connectivity for the region.
The demand for better international flight operations at Chandigarh airport has been a long-standing issue, with travellers frequently calling for more direct flights to key global destinations.
In October last year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Secretary, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, to file an affidavit as to “why the number of international flights from Chandigarh has not been increased” despite the airport becoming Category-II Instrument Landing System (CAT-II ILR) compliant more than 18 months ago.
The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mohali Industries Association in 2015 seeking to make Chandigarh International Airport fully functional by removing all infrastructure deficiencies, and other issues related to the the airport.
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