Shimla, Jan 21 (PTI) Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated helicopter services from the Sanjauli Heliport in Shimla on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in enhancing air connectivity and promoting tourism in Himachal Pradesh, officials said.
With this inauguration, daily helicopter flights have begun operating from the Sanjauli Heliport to Bhuntar Airport in Kullu and to the ITBP Helipad at Reckong Peo throughout the week.
Additionally, helicopter services between Chandigarh and Sanjauli Heliport will operate three days a week, viz: on Monday, Friday and Saturday.
The fare for the Sanjauli-Kullu route has been set at Rs 3,500 per passenger, while the fare for the Sanjauli-Reckong Peo route is Rs 4,000 per passenger. The fare from Sanjauli to Chandigarh has been fixed at Rs 3,169 per passenger.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that helicopter services on the Sanjauli-Rampur-Reckong Peo and Sanjauli-Manali (SASE Helipad) routes would also begin soon.
“Proposals for these routes have already been submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for approval of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)”, he said.
Congratulating the people of the state on the commencement of helicopter services, Sukhu said that these services would greatly benefit stakeholders associated with the tourism sector.
“The operation of flights from Sanjauli Heliport had been awaited for a long time, and this long-pending demand had finally been fulfilled. The new services will provide faster, safer and more convenient connectivity for tourists as well as the common people,” Sukhu said.
The chief minister further mentioned that the Sanjauli Heliport was located close to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, which would make it extremely useful during medical emergencies.
Emphasising the state government’s focus on tourism promotion, Sukhu said that heliports were being constructed at every district headquarters as well as at other prominent tourist destinations.
“Construction is underway on four heliports in Jaskot (Hamirpur district), Rakkar and Palampur (Kangra district), and Chamba, with completion expected by March-April. Rs 15 crore is being invested in each heliport. These heliports will encourage high-end tourists to visit Himachal Pradesh more frequently, thereby increasing income and employment opportunities for local people,” he said Sukhu criticised the previous BJP-led state government, alleging that it wasted nearly Rs 1,000 crore on constructing buildings that remain unused and vacant.
He also pointed out that the foundation stone for the Sanjauli Heliport was laid on September 13, 2017, during the Congress government’s tenure. The heliport was constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 15.86 crore.
“Although it was inaugurated on January 12, 2022, operations could not begin earlier due to the absence of DGCA clearance. Owing to the persistent efforts of the present state government, permission to operate flights was finally granted on August 7, 2025.
“Before this, the DGCA and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security conducted several inspections, and all security-related observations were duly addressed by the state government,” Sukhu said. PTI COR MPL MPL
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