Flights from Sahnewal Airport under UDAN Scheme to start from next month: Ravneet Bittu

MP Ravneet Bittu meets Civil Aviation Minister, Punjab Officials to start flights at earliest
State Government will help Air Lines company for better air connectivity
Ludhiana, May 19, 2017: In a good news for Ludhiana residents, the flights from Sahnewal Airport under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme will start from next month. This was informed by Ludhiana Member of Parliament Mr Ravneet Singh Bittu who met Union Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha and Punjab Officials to start the flights at earliest.
MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said that the state government will help the air lines company for the better connectivity. Earlier, the flights were suspended due to loss to air Lines Company but now the state and center government will provide financial aid to airline companies if they will suffer loss.
Stating on the importance of air connectivity Ravneet singh Bittu said “ That industrial potential and the entrepreneurial spirit of Ludhiana suffers a major handicap due to lack of regular and reliable air connectivity. Despite structural bottleneck of short length of the air strip , UDAN scheme will ensure regular and reliable connectivity”
Punjab Government has apprised S. Ravneet Singh Bittu that it is actively cooperating with Union government with respect to issues like Viability gap Funding, relief on taxes on aviation fuel at refuelling facilities, exemption from landing charges and hanger facility . The matter of adding additional length to air strip is also under active consideration of the state to help make optimal use of Ludhiana airport.
According to S. Ravneet Singh Bittu Ludhiana should see regular flights from the month of June 2017 , beginning with Alliance Air and later in the month of August joined by Deccan Charters. With 50 per cent of seats on every flight capped at Rs 2,500 per seat under the UDAN scheme and applicable for flights where the distance is less than 500 km or one-hour, UDAN scheme will be boon for people of Ludhiana. Firstly Ludhiana airport will handle flights till Delhi and thereafter to Mumbai and other important cities.
Ever since the launch of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) that seeks to make flying more affordable and Ludhiana being the one of the top industrial destination remains under-utilized despite having aviation infrastructure at Ludhian’s Sahnewal airport.
S. Ravneet Singh Bittu lamented that Akali BJP government had bias against Ludhiana and favoured Bathinda airport over it. They lacked sincere efforts and deprived Ludhiana of the facility it deserved , and the present Punjab’s government is committed to restore Ludhiana’s place in industrialisation of state.