Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu yesterday inaugurated helicopter services from Sanjauli heliport in Shimla, marking a significant milestone in strengthening air connectivity and promoting tourism in Himachal Pradesh.
Daily helicopter flights have commenced from Sanjauli heliport to Bhuntar airport in Kullu and to the ITBP helipad at Reckong Peo in Kinnaur.
Besides, helicopter services between Chandigarh and Sanjauli heliport will operate three days a week on Monday, Friday and Saturday.
The fare on the Sanjauli-Kullu route has been fixed at Rs 3,500 per person, Rs 4,000 for the Sanjauli-Reckong Peo route and Rs 3,169 from Sanjauli to Chandigarh.
The Chief Minister said helicopter services on the Sanjauli-Rampur-Reckong Peo and Sanjauli-Manali (SASE helipad) routes would also be started soon.
“Proposals for these routes have already been submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for approval of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),” he said.
Sukhu said the long-awaited operation of flights from Sanjauli would provide faster, safer and more convenient connectivity for tourists as well as the general public. He added that the close proximity of the heliport to Indira Gandhi Medical College here would make it extremely useful during medical emergencies.
He reiterated that the state government was making continuous efforts to promote tourism. “The introduction of helicopter services will not only improve access to key tourist destinations but will also strengthen the overall air network in the state,” he said.
Emphasising the government’s focus on tourism promotion, he said heliports were being constructed at every district headquarters as well as at other prominent tourist destinations.
“Construction work on four heliports at Jaskot in Hamirpur, Rakkar and Palampur in Kangra and Chamba will be completed by March-April 2026, with Rs 15 crore being spent on each heliport. These heliports will encourage high-end tourists to visit Himachal more, thereby increasing income and employment opportunities for local people,” he said.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation RS Bali, MLA Neeraj Nayar and Principal Media Adviser to the Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan were present.
The foundation stone of the Sanjauli heliport was laid on September 13, 2017, and it has been constructed at a cost of Rs 15.86 crore. Although it was inaugurated on January 12, 2022, operations could not begin due to the absence of DGCA clearance. Permission to operate flights was finally granted on August 7, 2025.