Following SpiceJet and Indigo, FlyBig also suspended its Dehradun-Pantnagar via Pithoragarh flight on Saturday. This has severed the last air link between Kumaon and Garhwal. This decision will not only increase the travel time of the border residents by 15-16 hours to reach the capital, but will also deal a significant blow to tourism in Uttarakhand.
FlyBig, an airline provider, launched a commercial flight service between Dehradun and Pantnagar via Pithoragarh six days a week (except Thursdays) from February 26, 2024, under the Regional Flight Scheme. FlyBig operated a 19-seater DHC-6-400 Twin Otter aircraft on this route. This flight was under the Regional Flight Scheme, with passengers bearing 60 percent of the ticket fare, and the state government covering 40 percent. This flight took only 50 minutes to reach Pithoragarh, while the journey to Dehradun took two and a quarter hours. Initially, everything went well, but then the service began to falter. About a month ago, the company’s employees even staged a strike after not receiving their salaries for three months. Ultimately, the service was discontinued on Saturday.
Airline service provider Fly Big has suspended the Dehradun-Pantnagar via Pithoragarh flight due to personal reasons. This flight will not operate from September 27th
