Successful trial run of 42 seater aircraft at Naini-Saini airstrip conducted
Successful trial run of 42 seater aircraft at Naini-Saini airstrip conducted
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, March 14
After successful trial landing of a bigger 42 seater aircraft at Naini-Saini airstrip of Pithoragarh today morning, the possibility of plying a 42 seater aircraft between Delhi and Pithoragarh has brightened, according to Pithoragarh District Magistrate Reena Joshi.
“A 42 seater aircraft of ‘Alliance Air’ company landed at 10.30 am today as a trial. This also indicates start of a long awaited air service between Pithoragarh and Delhi,” said Reena Joshi.
The District Magistrate further said that the possibility to land a 42 seater aircraft at Naini- Saini airstrip could become possible after the airstrip was granted category 2C status by Union Civil Aviation ministry on February 29, this year.
The Naini-Saini Airstrip was constructed in the year 1992 and started to handle chartered flights of VIPs and political leaders but later in the year 2019 civilian flights were also started with a 9 seater aircraft of ‘Heritage Aviation’ company but that service ended in a fiasco after three months following a technical snag in the aircraft mid-air.
“The flight to Delhi to and fro from Pithoragarh would not only help service personals, students, tourists and businessman but also open this remote district to the country,” said Pawan Joshi, president of Traders Association of Pithoragarh.
The air service by a 19 seater aircraft of ‘Flybig’ company from Pithoragarh to Dehradun and Pantnagar is already operating from first week of March this year. Besides this air service, helicopter service from Pantnagar and Dehradun to Pithoragarh, Champawat and Munsiyari is also running from past one month.
