Himachal Pradesh is a hot tourist destination that is visited by thousand of travelers throughout the year. As the place is known for its hilly mountain ranges and uneven terrain, transportation through railways is not a very feasible option. Due to difficulty in laying down railway tracks on uneasy roads, three national airports have been built to take care of the comfort of the passengers. Besides these airports, there are a number of helipads that are under the control of military, civil or other Para military organizations.

Airports in Himachal :

Bhuntar Airport :

Located at a distance of about 50 kilometer from Manali and ten km from Kullu, Bhutnar airport offers flights from New Delhi via Shimla. At this airport, Jagson Airways operates flights to and from Bhutnar.

Gaggal Airport :

This airport is located near Dharmshala which is at a distance of 13 kilometers from Gaggal. The place is also not very far from the famous Kangra Valley. At this airport, Air Deccan operates flights that take passengers to and from Pathankot and Delhi.

Jubbarhatti Airport :

Situated in Jubbarhatti, this airport caters to the tourists coming to visit Shimla which lies about 23 kilometers from this airport. Both Air Deccan and Jagson Airlines work in unison here.

With the absence of any major airports in Himachal Pradesh, these smaller airports provide access to this state. There is no international airport in the state, but the government is chalking out a plan to build it near Shimla. In addition, there is a provision of constructing more helipads at Kinnaur, Mandi, and Sirmour districts. In addition to it, heli-taxi services are going to commence from 2011.

• Several Helipad facilities are available at several places including Shimla, Kullu, Kangra, Kinnaur, Chamba, Sirmour, and Lahaul & Spiti.

• Special provisions have been made to construct new airports at Banikhet and Rangrik which are located in Chamba and Spiti respectively. 

• Airports in Himachal Pradesh are on their way to expansion and modernization.