Alliance Air launches new plane for Kullu

Our Correspondent

Kullu, August 17

Alliance Air, which is owned by the Central Government, yesterday started its daily operations with newly inducted ATR-42 600 series aircraft to the Kullu-Manali airport at Bhuntar.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials welcomed the aircraft with a spray of water cannons from fire engines at the airport. The operations were scheduled to start yesterday but the flight was cancelled due to bad weather.

An airline official said that 32 passengers arrived from Delhi while 16 passengers departed from Kullu. He added that on Sundays, the flight would depart at 6.40 am from Delhi and arrive directly in Kullu at 8 am. It would return from Kullu at 8.30 am and reach Delhi at 9.50 am.

He said, “On other days, the flight will depart from Delhi at 6.40 am and reach Chandigarh at 7.40 am. It will depart from Chandigarh at 8.10 am and arrive in Kullu at 9 am. It will return from Kullu at 9.30 am and reach Chandigarh at 10.20 am. It will further leave for Delhi at 10.50 am and reach the destination at 11.50 am.”

Political leaders of the area said that now the fares of the Kullu to Delhi flights would also reduce significantly because “this aircraft has the capacity to carry more passengers”. Travel agents said that the fares so far were the same as earlier.

Aviation experts said even this aircraft would be allowed to carry almost the same number of passengers as was the case with ATR-72 used earlier but the costs would reduce.