Parliament Question: Flight Operations from Halwara Airport

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. : 295 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12th March 2026 ) FLIGHT OPERATIONS FROM HALWARA AIRPORT 295. DR. AMAR SINGH Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government is aware that the regular commercial flight operations have not commenced from Halwara Airport, Punjab despite the inauguration of terminal building and if so, the reasons therefor; (b) whether any proposals have been received or considered for starting regular flights from Halwara Airport to major destinations including Delhi, Mumbai, Shri Hazur Sahib, Shri Patna Sahib and Varanasi and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government proposes to include the said Airport under any regional connectivity or route support scheme including UDAN Scheme to ensure viability of operations; and (d) if so, the details thereof alongwith the time by which regular commercial flight services are proposed to be operationalised from Halwara Airport? ANSWER Minister of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu) (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. ******STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) to (D) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.295 FOR REPLY ON 12.03.2026 REGARDING 'FLIGHT OPERATIONS FROM HALWARA AIRPORT' ASKED BY DR. AMAR SINGH. (a) to (d): Halwara Airport, owned by the Indian Air Force has been developed through a joint venture between the State Government of Punjab and the Airports Authority of India. The development work at the airport has been completed. At present, there are no scheduled flight operations at Halwara Airport. However, M/s Air India has proposed to operate 14 flights per week to/from Halwara Airport in the Summer Schedule 2026. With the repeal of the Air Corporations Act in March 1994, Indian domestic aviation was deregulated. Airlines are free to induct capacity with any aircraft type and to select the markets and networks they wish to serve. Hence, it is upto the airline operators to introduce air services to/from any airport in the country, depending on their operational and commercial viability. In case, any airline submits a valid bid for routes connecting Halwara airport in future rounds of bidding, the same may be considered as per the provisions of the UDAN scheme. ******