London, Vancouver, Singapore: MP Satnam Singh Sandhu Demands Direct Global Flights from Chandigarh Airport

Highlighting the frustration of nearly 7 crore people across Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, Sandhu demanded direct connectivity to London, Singapore, and Vancouver. File Photo.

Despite being inaugurated over ten years ago, Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh continues to face a major policy roadblock: the absence of the ‘Point of Call’ (PoC) designation. This technical status is mandatory under India’s bilateral air service agreements for foreign airlines such as Emirates or Air Canada to operate direct flights. Without it, the airport remains excluded from the "bilateral offer list", regardless of its world-class infrastructure.

The issue took centre stage in Parliament during Zero Hour today, as Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu urged the Union Government to grant PoC status immediately.

Highlighting the frustration of nearly 7 crore people across Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, Sandhu demanded direct connectivity to London, Singapore, and Vancouver. Currently, the airport only services two international routes for Dubai and Abu Dhabi both operated by domestic carrier IndiGo.

While the airport currently handles approximately 42 lakh passengers annually, it has the untapped capacity to accommodate an additional 20 lakh. Officials confirm the facility is fully equipped for 24x7 operations with a 10,400-foot runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft. However, until the PoC status is granted, regional travellers remain forced to commute to Delhi for long-haul international flights.

The lack of direct connectivity leaves travellers with no choice but to rely on Delhi, incurring extra travel costs and hours on the road—the exact gap that the Chandigarh-based airport was intended to close.

First inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in September 2015, the airport was formally renamed in 2022 to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport.

Source: The Tribune