CM launches Dehradun-Pithoragarh flight to boost connectivity, local economy – myuttarakhandnews.com | Uttarakhand News in English | Dehradun News Today| News Uttarakhand | Uttarakhand latest news

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the new 42-seater flight service from Dehradun to Pithoragarh at Jolly Grant Airport on Thursday, highlighting its strategic importance. He stated that with the launch of this service, residents of Pithoragarh can travel to Dehradun in just one hour and this will significantly boost the local economy. Underscoring the importance of developing the border areas, he said that things have changed now with the Centre and the State government collaborating to boost development in the long-neglected border areas. “Thanks to these development initiatives, the border areas are being integrated developmentally with the rest of the State.  Under these initiatives, a helicopter service between Pithoragarh and Munsyari has been launched,” he added. Dhami also informed about plans to develop Pithoragarh Airport with an investment of Rs 450 crore. On the State Foundation Day, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of the Prime Minister, between the Airports Authority of India and the Uttarakhand government for the acquisition of Naini Saini Airport, which will benefit the region in the future, he said. He further said that in 2016, the PM had initiated a revolution in civil aviation by launching the UDAN scheme, which connects small towns and remote areas to the air network, providing affordable air services to ordinary citizens. “Just two days earlier, the Central Government approved UDAN Scheme 2.0. This initiative aims to develop 100 new airports and 200 new helipads over the next 10 years with a budget of approximately Rs 29,000 crore. The plan is designed to enhance regional air connectivity, particularly in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, ensuring affordable and accessible air service in remote and hilly regions,” he said. For a mountainous State like Uttarakhand, air services have become more than just a mode of transportation; they have become a lifeline, he said and added that these services are effective in delivering essential supplies to inaccessible areas and transporting critically ill patients to major hospitals for urgent treatment. “Currently, 26 air routes are operational in the State under the UDAN scheme. In 2023, the Uttarakhand Air Connectivity Scheme was introduced to provide air connectivity to remote areas of the State, with regular flights operating on six routes under this initiative. Over the past four years, the number of heliports in the State has increased from two to twelve and the number of helipads has grown from 60 to 118. Uttarakhand has also been marked as the Best State for Promotion of Aviation Ecosystem,” he said.