A civil enclave was carved out of the Pathankot Air Force Station and Alliance Air began Delhi-Pathankot flights in April 2018 under UDAN, but the airline pulled out when its three-year Viability Gap Funding contract ended in April 2021. No carrier has resumed commercial service since, and in December 2025 the Civil Aviation Ministry listed Pathankot among 15 UDAN airports nationwide with zero flight operations.
On record
The official record states: "Per the government's Lok Sabha reply, "Any airline may commence scheduled commercial operations between Pathankot and Delhi keeping in view the traffic and commercial viability" — i.e. the route was deemed commercially unviable once subsidy support ended."
Filed as "Ghost infrastructure (no scheduled flights)" and dated to Civil enclave flights began April 2018, this entry sits under the "Not specified (government cited a separate ₹4 crore civil-enclave outlay)" line of the public accounts.
What to expect
- A terminal built for a passenger rush that never boarded.
- A departures board with more staff than flights, most days none of either.
- A conveyor belt kept in working order out of sheer optimism.
- A runway whose length remains a subject of expert disagreement.
Sourcing
2 public sources — news reports, RTI replies and civic archives — corroborate this entry. The citation trail is listed below for anyone who would like to follow up with the department concerned.
“Awarded to the lowest bidder, and it shows, and it always was going to.”— Blunderlust Editorial Desk
Sources
- https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/unviable-rs-4-crore-pathankot-airport-project-fails-to-take-off/
- https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/pathankot-ludhiana-shimla-among-15-udan-airports-with-no-flight-operation/
Visitor reviews
“Visited twice, a year apart, to check whether anything had changed. It is progressing at the speed of committee.”
“Heard the story from an auto driver and went to see for myself. Worth the trip if only to confirm it is real.”
“Came for a photo and left with several questions. The estimate and the expenditure are no longer on speaking terms.”