Himachal Pradesh News
Kullu – Manali News : Winter woes for tourism as Alliance Air cuts Kullu-Manali flights under Winter Schedule 2025
Alliance Air has reduced flight operations to Kullu-Manali under Winter Schedule 2025, raising concerns over tourism and air connectivity in Himachal Pradesh.
As the winter travel season begins, the finalised domestic flight schedules have revealed a significant setback for Himachal Pradesh’s tourism sector, with Alliance Air — the sole airline operating to Kullu-Manali airport at Bhuntar — sharply reducing its services.
Under the Winter Schedule 2025 (WS25), effective from late October 2025 to March 2026, Alliance Air has cut its weekly domestic departures by 22.73 per cent compared to winter 2024. The schedule was finalised following the slot conference held by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.
While most domestic airlines have expanded their operations for the winter season, Alliance Air’s reduction stands out as one of the steepest. Air India has cut its services by 10.50 per cent, while regional carrier Fly Big has slashed operations by 61.84 per cent. In contrast, market leader IndiGo continues to dominate, accounting for over 15,014 of the total 26,495 weekly domestic departures operated by 10 airlines across the country.
For the Kullu-Manali region — a major winter tourism destination — the cutbacks have resulted in serious connectivity concerns. Alliance Air has not released its Kullu-to-Delhi flight schedule beyond January 15, 2026. Although Delhi-to-Kullu flights are listed until March 27 for five days a week, the service was earlier operated daily until October last year. This mismatch in scheduling has made it difficult for tourists to plan confirmed round-trip travel.
Connectivity on other routes has also been affected. Flights from Kullu to Dehradun and Jaipur have been reduced to just two per week. While the Kullu-Chandigarh service is expected to resume in mid-January, the return flight schedule has not yet been announced. The only route retaining its earlier frequency is the Kullu-Amritsar sector.
Tourism stakeholders have expressed concern over the reduced air services during the peak winter season. Bhupender Thakur, Chief Patron of the Kullu Travel Agents Association, said the cut in flights could negatively impact tourist inflow.
“Reducing flight operations during the winter season is worrying. We urge the national carrier to increase services,” Thakur said. He also stressed the need to attract other major airlines to operate in Himachal Pradesh, noting that improved air connectivity is critical for sustaining the state’s tourism-driven economy.
