During Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Sh. Rajinder Gupta raised an important matter regarding the urgent need to expand international flight connectivity from Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali. He emphasized that despite being one of North India’s most modern and well-equipped airports, its current international operations remain disproportionately limited.
Sh. Gupta highlighted that the airport handles close to 10,000 passengers every day and is equipped with a state-of-the-art terminal capable of managing 4.5 million passengers annually. Yet, at present, the airport offers only two international routes to Dubai and Abu Dhabi adding up to barely nine international movements a week.
For an airport serving the vast population of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, such limited connectivity is inadequate and does not reflect the genuine travel needs of the region. He pointed out that the broader catchment area of the airport represents over 60 million people, including one of the largest NRI communities globally.
There is exceptionally high travel demand to destinations such as the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Singapore, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In the absence of direct international options from Mohali, passengers students, professionals, workers, businesses and families are compelled to travel long distances to Delhi or Amritsar to board international flights.
This not only increases travel time and cost but also contributes to congestion, environmental impact and avoidable fatigue. Sh. Gupta stated that direct connectivity to key hubs like London, Toronto and Singapore would significantly enhance convenience for millions of travellers while boosting the region’s economic and strategic standing.
He noted that the Tri-City area has rapidly emerged as a hub for Business, IT, MICE activities, medical tourism and start-up growth. Enhanced international access would accelerate this momentum and create new opportunities for trade, investment and employment.
He further informed the House that Mohali Airport is among the best AI-managed airports in the country and has achieved a top-tier ASQ score of 5, demonstrating its operational readiness for expanded international traffic. Additionally, Chandigarh’s strategic military significance strengthens the case for better global connectivity to support defence-related logistics.
In light of these factors, Sh. Rajinder Gupta urged the Government to take swift steps by commissioning an independent route-viability audit, fast-tracking terminal and customs processing upgrades, securing extended operational windows and airspace permissions, and incentivizing airlines to commence priority international routes to Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. He called for immediate action to ensure that the region receives the global connectivity it rightfully deserves.