Giving a boost to tourism and economic activities in Uttarakhand, Air India today launched a daily direct flight from Delhi to Dehradun.
The national carrier has pressed into service a 46 seater ATR aircraft on this route, which will depart from Delhi at 10.10 am and reach Dehradun at 11.10 am.
On its return, the flight will take off from Dehradun at 11.35 am and reach Delhi at 12.35 pm.
The introductory fare of the flight from Delhi to Dehradun is Rs2,350 and from Dehradun to Delhi isRs 2,150.
The inaugural flight from Delhi to the state's capital ran to capacity today. On its arrival here, the passengers were greeted by the officials of Garhwal Mandal Vikash Limited (GMVL), an Uttarkhand government undertaking.
"The service will give a big boost to the tourism sector in the Grahwal region," Managing Director of GMVL B Purushottam told reporters.
About 2 crore people visit the state every year.
He said the strategic location of the airport-- situated between Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh -- will also help in the economic development of the region.
According to Air India, the timing of the flight has been kept as such that on its arrival at Delhi, passengers have the
options of taking connecting flights to cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.
The new flight would also help passengers catch their connecting flights for international destination on Air India's network like those in the US, the gulf, the UK and South East Asian countries.
Jet Airways also introduced its service to Dehradun from Delhi today. Kingfisher Airlines also operates on this route.
