Leh, 21 August (H.S.): Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, today met the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and discussed key issues related to strengthening air connectivity in the Union Territory.
During the meeting, Gupta strongly advocated for operationalising commercial air services from Kargil and Thoise (Nubra) under the RCS-UDAN scheme.
He highlighted that these regions remain cut off for most of the year due to difficult terrain and prolonged road closures, leaving residents with very limited travel options.
At present, winter services operated by the Indian Air Force under Operation Sadbhavana are restricted in capacity and cater mainly to emergency cases, students, and patients.
The LG urged the Ministry to remove existing bottlenecks and facilitate fixed-wing operations with turboprop aircraft of up to 50 seats for sustainable regional connectivity.
He also proposed that a table-top feasibility study at Kargil Airport be conducted jointly by MoCA, DGCA, AAI and other stakeholders to finalise operational standards and aircraft requirements for regular services.
Raising another major concern, the LG pressed for regulatory mechanisms to check exorbitant airfares on existing Ladakh routes to ensure affordable travel for residents and tourists alike.
Gupta also sought the speedy completion of the new terminal at Leh’s Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport, which is crucial to meet growing passenger traffic.
The Union Minister assured the Lt Governor of the Ministry’s full cooperation.
He said, “All efforts will be made to enhance air connectivity and address the concerns of the people of Ladakh.”
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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar
