5 Airports in Uttarakhand

The 'Dev Bhoomi' of India, Uttarakhand is a popular tourist destination in North India. Famous for its scenic landscapes, venerable temples and Ghats and thrilling adventure activities, the state attracts many tourists throughout the year. Many popular tourist places like hill-stations of Nainital, Mussoorie, Ranikhet, spiritual towns like Haridwar and Rishikesh along with wildlife reserve of Jim Corbett are located here. There is only one major airport in Uttarakhand and one local airport.

List of all Airports in Uttarakhand

IATA	Location	Airport Name	Category	Type of Airport
DED	Dehradun	Jolly Grant Airport	Domestic	Commercial
PGH	Pantnagar	Pantnagar Airport	Domestic	Commercial
NNS	Pithoragarh	Naini Saini Airport	Domestic	Commercial
-	Chamoli	Gauchar Airport	Proposed	Commercial
-	Uttarkashi	Bharkot Airport (Chinyalisaur Airstrip)	Proposed	Commercial
-	Chaukhutia	Chaukhutia Airport	Proposed	Commercial

1. Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun

The Jolly Grant Airport, also known as Dehradun Airport is the major airport in Uttarakhand. Located about 25 km east of Dehradun, the airport is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas. Jolly Grant Airport serves as the primary airport for reaching cities and towns of Rishikesh, Haridwar, Mussoorie, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath and Gangotri. Buses and taxis are available just outside the airport. Waiting Lounge, ATM, restaurants and trolleys are a few of the facilities at the airport. There are also a few shops where tourists can indulge in their free time.

2. Pant Nagar Airport

The Pant Nagar Airport in Uttarkhand is a domestic airport. It is the only airport in the Kumaon region of the state and is quite important for tourists as it connects them to places like Nainital, Ranikhet, Jim Corbett National Park, Bhimtal and Almora. Helicopters also operate from this airport connecting the tourists to various cities in the state. Buses and taxis are easily available outside the airport which connects tourists to nearby cities and towns like Ramnagar, Kashipur, Haldwani and Kathgodam. The Pant Nagar Railway Station is also just 5 km from the airport. 

3. Bharkot Airport (Chinyalisaur Airstrip), Uttarkashi

Situated on the Banks of the Tehri lake, Bharkot Airport a.k.a. Chinyalisaur Airport currently serves the Indian Air Force. The Airstrip is also known as Maa Ganga Airstrip and it is known to be one of the most beautiful airports due to the surrounding lush green forest and the gorgeous and calm Tehri Lake. The airport was constructed to manage the pilgrim and tourist traffic and to ease the transport around the area. Since the Air Charter companies did not use the facility, the Airstrip lays Idle most of the time. Bharkot Airport lies on the way to Gangotri and Yamunotri of Uttarakhand.

4. Gauchar Airport, Chamoli

Located on the Badrinath Highway of the Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, Gauchar Airport has a stunning airstrip. It played a very important role during the rescue of pilgrims from the Kedarnath Floods in 2013. Gauchar got its name in the 1920s when Lady Willingdon, the wife of the then viceroy of India, visited the place. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru also visited Badrinath by landing here with his sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit in 1938. Gauchar airport is fully operational under the Indian Army but is not open for common flights. There are Helicopter services for the Char Dham Tours which use the airport along with the Indian Army.

5. Naini Saini Airport, Pithoragarh

 Naini Saini Airport is located in the beautiful city of Pithoragarh of the Kumaon Region of Uttarakhand. It sits in the laps of mesmerising Naini Saini Hill region and has the Defence Agriculture Research Laboratory on the other side of the airstrip. Constructed in 1991 for Administrative use, Naini Saini Airport is yet to start daily commercial flights as the airport is located in the upper Himalayan region. 22 seater Daily commercial flights are supposed to operate from here. 

6. Chaukhutia Airport

Chaukhutia Airport is a newly proposed airport located near Chaukhutia town in the Almora district of Uttarakhand, India. The airport project, surveyed in 2017 and situated in the Jhala Karchuli Haat Post Office Dhamdeval area of Chaukhutia, aims to boost tourism in the Uttarakhand state. With the completion of the survey and the location clearance, Chaukhutia Airport is envisioned to play a pivotal role in facilitating travel and promoting tourism in the region.

There are not many airports in Uttarakhand. However, to manage the inflow of tourists, the government is planning to develop the airstrips of Pithoragarh, Chinyalisaur and Gauchar into fully operational airports.