More than a decade after its inauguration, Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh, located in Mohali, continues to fall short of its potential as a global gateway, with the absence of the crucial ‘Point of Call’ (PoC) designation. The lack of the PoC status has been the biggest roadblock to full-fledged international operations at the airport.

The BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Satnam Singh Sandhu, raised the issue during Zero Hour in Parliament today, urging the Union Government to grant the PoC status to the airport. He demanded the immediate introduction of direct international flights from Chandigarh to London, Singapore and Vancouver. The airport currently operates only two overseas services — Dubai and Abu Dhabi — both handled by IndiGo. He also pressed for enhanced cargo capacity at Punjab’s two international airports, Chandigarh and Amritsar, to boost exports from the region.

Calling Chandigarh an aviation hub not just for Punjab but also for Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, Sandhu said the airport catered to a combined population of nearly 7 crores. “Chandigarh Airport was built to handle six million passengers annually. At present, it handles about 40-42.5 lakh passengers a year and still has the capacity to accommodate at least 20 lakhs more. The demand for international flights is real, sustained and shared across states,” he told the House.

Despite world-class infrastructure and steady growth in passenger traffic, the airport has been unable to attract foreign airlines because it is not notified as a PoC under India’s bilateral air service agreements. In the absence of this designation, the airport does not feature on the bilateral offer list, a prerequisite for foreign carriers to operate flights to and from any Indian airport. As a result, airlines such as Emirates, Lufthansa or Air Canada cannot schedule services to Chandigarh even if market demand exists.

The consequence is visible on the ground. A large number of passengers from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh continue to travel long distances by road to Delhi or Amritsar to board international flights and even several direct domestic services. For many, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport remains the default option, adding to travel time, cost and congestion — a gap Chandigarh airport was originally meant to bridge.

Sandhu pointed out that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s aviation sector had seen unprecedented expansion, with the number of airports rising from 74 in 2014 to over 163 today. Punjab alone now has two international airports — Chandigarh and Amritsar — and four domestic airports at Adampur, Halwara, Bathinda and Pathankot. He cited the recent inauguration of Halwara Airport and the renaming of Adampur Airport as Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport as examples of the Centre’s focus on regional aviation. “Punjab has got much from the Union government, but Punjabis ka dil maange more,” he remarked, reiterating the demand for greater international connectivity from Chandigarh.

Senior officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) told The Tribune that over the past decade, Chandigarh International Airport had undergone significant upgrades, removing nearly all operational constraints. The airport is now fully equipped for 24×7 operations, has a 10,400-foot runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft without payload penalties, and a modern terminal spread over 53,000 square metres with sufficient immigration, customs and security infrastructure for international flights.

Passenger traffic has surged from around 15 lakhs in 2015-16 to nearly 40 lakhs in 2024-25 — a growth of about 200% — while domestic connectivity has expanded to around 18-20 destinations with an average of 84 domestic flight movements daily. The airport also has a dedicated integrated cargo terminal with perishable cargo facilities and has rolled out airline incentive schemes to attract new domestic and international routes.

Yet, without PoC status, these assets remain underutilised on the international front. Leaders cutting across party lines, including Chandigarh Congress MP Manish Tewari, have repeatedly raised the issue inside and outside Parliament, arguing that granting the PoC status to Chandigarh would ease pressure on Delhi and give a direct economic push to the region through tourism, trade and investment.

The airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11, 2015, and renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in 2022.

TIMELINE

2015: Chandigarh International Airport inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi

2019 (April): Airport becomes fully 24×7 operational

2022: Renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport

2024-25: Annual passenger traffic touches around 40-42.5 lakh

FACILITIES

24×7 flight operations

Runway length: 10,400 feet (wide-body capable)

Total paved runway length: 12,400 feet

17 aircraft parking stands, including 2 for wide-body aircraft

5 aerobridges

Terminal capacity: 6 million passengers annually

Full immigration and customs facilities

Dedicated integrated cargo terminal with perishable cargo handling

OPERATIONAL FLIGHTS

International: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Domestic: Around 18-20 destinations, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Srinagar, Leh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Lucknow, Patna, Indore, Goa (Mopa and Dabolim), Dehradun, Dharamsala and Hisar

Average domestic movement: 84 flights per day

HURDLES TO EXPANSION

Absence of ‘Point of Call’ status

Not included in bilateral offer lists for foreign airlines

International routes governed by bilateral treaties restricting foreign carriers to select Indian airports

WHAT IS ‘POINT OF CALL’

A government-notified airport permitted under bilateral air service agreements

Mandatory for foreign airlines to operate international flights

Without PoC status, foreign carriers cannot legally fly in or out, regardless of demand or infrastructure