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Punjab MP seeks international flights from Chandigarh
Calls for point-of-call status and cargo expansion to improve global connectivity
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 10, Feb 2026
- 15:25 EST
- 19
Satnam Singh Sandhu / Rajya Sabha
Punjab politician Satnam Singh Sandhu urged the Indian government to introduce direct international flights from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport Chandigarh to London, Singapore, and Vancouver.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament, Sandhu also called for the airport to be designated as a “Point of Call,” a regulatory requirement that allows foreign airlines to operate international routes.
Also Read: Punjab CM bats for more international flights from Mohali airport
Currently, only two international flights operate from Chandigarh airport, connecting to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, both served by domestic carrier IndiGo.
“Chandigarh Airport is an important aviation hub not only for Punjab, but also for Haryana and Himachal Pradesh,” Sandhu said.
He noted that the airport serves a combined population of about 70 million and was built to handle up to six million passengers annually. According to him, the airport currently handles around four million passengers a year.
Sandhu said there is a long-standing regional demand for direct international connectivity, particularly to London, Singapore, and Vancouver.
Referring to developments in India’s aviation sector, Sandhu said the number of airports nationwide has expanded significantly over the past decade under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He noted that Punjab now has two international airports and four domestic airports—Adampur, Halwara, Bathinda, and Pathankot.
“Punjab has got much from the Union government, but Punjabis ka dil maange more (the heart of Punjabis always wants more),” Sandhu said, reiterating his demand for expanded international flight operations from Chandigarh.
He further sought an increase in cargo handling capacity at Punjab’s two international airports—Chandigarh and Amritsar—to support the state’s exports.
He also cited recent federal decisions affecting Punjab’s aviation infrastructure, including the renaming of Adampur airport as Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport and the inauguration of Halwara airport.
Chandigarh airport, inaugurated in 2015, has not been designated as a Point of Call and is therefore not included in India’s bilateral air services agreements, a prerequisite for foreign airlines to operate international services. The airport was renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in 2022 in tribute to the Indian freedom fighter.
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