Scindia said site clearance has been given for a Greenfield airport at Mandi. A plan is also under way to extend the Dharamshala airport runway, now short at a length of 4,500 feet, the strip likely running over-the-river which will be a delightful and butterflies experience at the same time for the fliers. Only smaller turboprop airplanes operate from here currently with a capacity of carrying 50 passengers, raising the air fares.

NEW DELHI, March 28: Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen VK Singh and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur flagged off IndiGo's Dharamshala flight (Delhi-Dharamshala-Delhi flight) on Sunday.

Thakur proposed a larger airport for Dharamshala, saying, "Currently passengers coming to Himachal Pradesh from all over India have to go to Delhi and then board connecting flights to the State. A larger airport will provide direct seamless connectivity to passengers."

As the airport runway is short at a length of 4,500 feet, only smaller turboprop airplanes operate from here. IndiGo is using its ATR 72–600 planes to fly here.

Scindia said site clearance has been provided for a Greenfield airport at Mandi.

As per the schedule, there will be daily Indigo flights from Delhi to Dharamshala at 6.40 am and the return flight will be at 8.45 am. Another flight will operate on Delhi-Dharamshala-Delhi route on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 11 am and 2.55 pm.

The Indigo flight began on Sunday. Spicejet and Alliance Air are already flying to Dharamshala. The average flying time from Delhi to Dharamshala is 1 hour and 30 minutes. The distance between Delhi and Dharamshala by road is 484 km.

Low-cost Indigo is the leader in Indian domestic aviation.

The airline had on February 9 announced that it will launch a Delhi-Dharamshala flight on March 26. Dharamshala is its 78th domestic destination, marking the airline’s entry in Himachal Pradesh. It is also IndiGo’s 104th overall destination in the 6E network.

Dharamshala a tourist centre

Kangra airport, also known as Gaggal airport, is the airport for Dharamshala. It is at a distance of 15 km from the centre of Dharamshala. From the airport to the town one can catch a bus or a cab. There are already flights of other airlines operating from Kangra airport to Delhi and Chandigarh. The airport offers round-the-clock arrivals and departures from across the country.

Dharamshala, a Buddhist centre where spiritual leader the Dalai Lama resides, is also a well-known summer Capital of Himachal Pradesh. It has two distinct parts - Lower Dharamshala which is the commercial market district and the Upper Dharamshala consisting of McLeodganj and Forsythganj. Dharamshala is also an ideal starting point for hikes and treks in Dhauladhar mountain range.

The Tsuglagkhang Complex, Namgyal Monastery, St. John in the Wilderness, Tibet Museum, Bhagsu Naag temple, Naddi Hill Point, Mcleodganj, BhagsuNag waterfall and Dal Lake are among the scenic and historic tourist attractions in Dharamshala.

Dharamshala is also home to the world's highest international cricket stadium at 4,780 feet above sea level.

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