Uttarakhand: Connecting Garhwal And Kumaon, Now Fly From Dehradun To Pantnagar Via Alliance Air

In a major boost to connectivity in the mountain state, Uttarakhand’s capital Dehradun has now been connected via a flight to Pantnagar, a town in the Kumaon division of the state, reports The Tribune. The first flight on the new route was flagged off from the Jollygrant Airport in Dehradun on Friday (4 January) by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, among others.

The new route is part of the Centre’s ‘Connecting India’ initiative to improve regional connectivity. Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, is currently operating the new flight operations, charging about Rs 1,590 per ticket.

Uttarakhand is divided into different divisions and historical regions, Garhwal and Kumaon, with the capital Dehradun being in the former. The state has been plagued by poor connectivity not just between the two regions but also between different towns in the same region due to tough hilly terrain and exceptionally rocky topography.

To avoid the concentration of development in Dehradun, the Uttarakhand High Court was set up in Nainital, which is also in Kumaon; the move has largely been unsuccessful as Dehradun remains the centre of all economic growth in the state.