Parliament Question: Connecting the remote hilly region of Uttarakhand with air services

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3374 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23rd March 2026 CONNECTING THE REMOTE HILLY REGION OF UTTARAKHAND WITH AIR SERVICES 3374. SHRI MAHENDRA BHATT Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether Government is planning to increase regular helicopter services in the remote hilly areas like Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi districts of the State of Uttarakhand, where a large number of tourists arrive and natural disasters occur frequently; and (b) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) & (b): Under the UDAN scheme, RCS flight operations have commenced from Pithoragarh and Pantnagar airports, as well as from the heliports at Sahastradhara, Chinyalisaur, Gaucher, New Tehri, Haldwani, Almora, Srinagar, Munsyari and Bageshwar Champawat. To further strengthen and expand regional air connectivity, the Government has announced the launch of the modified UDAN Scheme to increase regional connectivity to 120 new destinations across the country including the state of Uttrakhand to cater to 4 crore passengers over the next 10 years. The scheme will also support helipads and smaller airports in hilly, aspirational, and North East region districts. ******