Supreme Court questions lack of air connectivity in Shimla, criticises Air India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the lack of air connectivity in Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla, also a popular tourist destination, while criticising loss-making Air India for failing repeatedly while private airlines were prospering.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A K Sikri and R Banumathi asked: "Why a capital city of a state couldn't be connected by air till now? If it can't be connected why make it the capi tal of a state?" Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said that the runway at Shimla airport is so small that only a 42-seater aircraft could land there. He further said that the aircraft should carry additional fuel with it as the airport has no refueling facility; carrying additional fuel means the aircraft should not carry more than 20 passengers; and carrying less passengers would make the route economically unviable.

But, it failed to impress the bench. "Shimla is just 30 minutes by air from Chandigarh, a city well-connected with the rest of the country by air. Why not connect Shimla to Chandigarh by small aircraft without facing the refuelling problem," it asked.

The bench also said, "It is a shame that a country like India, which is trying to compete with the developed ones, has just three 42-seater aircraft. And its national carrier Air India is in red when private airlines are prospering." Though it stayed a HP HC order directing air connectivity with Shimla, the SC asked SG and the ministry of civil aviation to respond in six weeks on working out a viable Shimla-Chandigarh-Delhi air route. It posted the matter for further hearing on February 16.