Flights from Shimla airport are likely to start from October 2015 various news reports have reported. Shimla airport will resume operations after a two year gap. Presently Shimla is the only state capital without any air connectivity.
Shimla airport director was quoted by wire services that AAI has completed most of the work on runway and resurfacing work would be finished by September 30. He said the length of runway at Shimla airport has been increased to 1189 m and now Alliance Airways will be asked to operate a bigger 72 seater plane to Shimla though passenger restriction would be 40-50.
He said a 42 seater Alliance Air plane had conducted a test flight in February this year. To ensure safe landing, edge lights have been fixed and precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting installed, which gives 3 degree angle to aircrafts and supports landing. Around Rs 690 lakh has been spent on all this, he said.
However, the issue of security remains a matter of concern for the Shimla airport as the state government is yet to settle the issue of allocating land for CISF colony at Totu. AAI rules say that CISF has to reach the airport within 30 minutes of emergency and this could become possible only when land is allotted near the airport.
Resumption of flights would boost tourism activity in Shimla and surrounding areas as missing flights had severely affected arrival of high end tourists to hill stations surrounding state capital. No flights have operated from Shimla airport for the past two years hitting tourism sector adversely.
