As the winter travel season commences, the finalized domestic flight schedules reveal a notable shift, with Alliance Air, the sole operator to Kullu Manali airport at Bhuntar, implementing a significant reduction in services.
Compared to the winter of 2024, the carrier has cut its weekly departures by 22.73 per cent nationwide, a move raising concerns within Himachal Pradesh’s tourism sector.
The Winter Schedule 2025 (WS25), effective from late October 2025 to March 2026, was set following the slot conference held by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.
While most airlines have expanded operations, Alliance Air’s cut is among the most pronounced, alongside reductions by Air India (10.50%) and Fly Big (61.84%). In contrast, market leader IndiGo will account for over 15,014 of the total 26,495 weekly domestic departures by 10 airlines nationwide.
For the picturesque Kullu-Manali region, heavily reliant on tourist footfall, these cuts translate into tangible connectivity issues. Alliance Air has not released its Kullu-to-Delhi schedule beyond January 15, 2026, though Delhi-to-Kullu flights are listed until March 27 for five days a week which earlier used to operate daily till October last year.
This asymmetry leaves passengers unable to plan round-trip vacations with certainty.
Further reductions affect key routes: flights to Dehradun and Jaipur from Kullu have been trimmed to just two per week. While the Kullu-Chandigarh route is slated to resume in mid-January, the return schedule remains unpublished. Only the Kullu-Amritsar service maintains its previous frequency.
In response to these concerns, Bhupender Thakur, Chief Patron of the Kullu Travel Agents Association, emphasised the urgent need for enhanced operations.
“Reducing flights is concerning. We urge that services by the national carrier be increased,” Thakur stated. He further advocated for attracting other major aviation players to improve Himachal’s air connectivity, which is vital for its tourism-dependent economy.
