Dehradun – In a high-level review meeting held at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emphasized the urgent need to expand air connectivity across Uttarakhand, especially to improve access to remote and hilly regions. The CM directed officials to give top priority to safety standards in all heli services operating in the state.
Key decisions and updates from the meeting include:
New Services & Aviation Infrastructure
Shuttle flights to operate under the Uttarakhand Air Connectivity Scheme on the following routes:
Dehradun–Joshimath
Joshimath–Badrinath
Pithoragarh–Dharchula/Munsyari
Direct helicopter service from Gunji to the Adi Kailash pilgrimage area proposed.
Construction of a new helipad near Garudchatti to bolster heli services to Kedarnath.
Pilot Training & Technology Initiatives
A new flying training school is being set up at Pantnagar to meet the growing demand for trained pilots.
Digital mapping with ISRO is being developed to enhance air traffic security.
Airport & Airstrip Developments
Pantnagar Airport expansion to be completed by 2027–28.
Jolly Grant Airport (Dehradun) being upgraded to international standards by 2026.
Pithoragarh airstrip to be developed as a regional hub.
Coordination with the Indian Army is ongoing for new helipad construction in border areas.
The meeting was attended by Infrastructure Monitoring Council Vice Chairman Vishwas Dabur, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu, and senior officials including R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Sachin Kurve, and UCADA CEO Ashish Chauhan.
