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FlyAmritsar, AVM urge PM Carney to push for direct Canada–Amritsar flights
Groups seek inclusion of direct Canada–Amritsar flights in Carney–Modi talks
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Staff Reporter - Sat, 28, Feb 2026
- 11:56 EST
- 23
FlyAmritsar Initiative and the Amritsar Vikas Manch / Official logo
Two advocacy groups have called on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to push for direct flights to Amritsar during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The FlyAmritsar Initiative and the Amritsar Vikas Manch, urged Carney who is on his first official visit to India, to appeal for the establishment of non-stop services from Toronto and Vancouver to Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.
Also Read: Punjab MP seeks international flights from Chandigarh
They argued that the move, apart from strengthening Canada–India ties, would serve more than one million Canadians of Punjabi origin, along with students and business travelers.
Direct flights to Amritsar would facilitate access to the prominent Sikh shrine, the Harmandir Sahib, reducing travel times that currently stretch between 25 and 35 hours with layovers in Delhi.
In a joint statement, Anantdeep Singh Dhillon, convener (North America) for the FlyAmritsar Initiative, and Sameep Singh Gumtala, global convener of the initiative and overseas secretary of AVM, said, “There is no more practical, people-focused outcome than addressing the longest-standing travel demand of the Punjabi diaspora. Direct flights are no longer just a convenience; they are a necessity for trade, education, and family ties.”
“Connecting families and enabling tourism to the Golden Temple should be a unifying, non-partisan priority. We hope this becomes a signature highlight of the Carney–Modi dialogue," they added.
The groups said the demand has received bipartisan support in Canada. A parliamentary e-petition initiated by Mohit Dhanju of the FlyAmritsar Initiative and sponsored by Conservative MP Brad Vis received more than 20,000 signatures within 30 days. Liberal MP and Minister Ruby Sahota has also supported the proposal.
Gumtala said airlines such as Air India could commence direct Canada–Amritsar flights. Alternatively, Ottawa could negotiate expanded access for Canadian carriers including Air Canada.
Under the expanded 2022 Canada–India air transport agreement, designated carriers from both countries can operate an unlimited number of flights between the two nations, replacing the earlier cap of 35 weekly flights.
However, Canadian airlines currently operate non-stop services only to six major Indian metropolitan cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chennai — excluding Amritsar.
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