“We will continue to advocate for the Canadian people with the Indian government so that they get more travel options.”
— Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Transport Minister
Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Transport Minister tweeted on November 30 that his country was willing to start direct flights to Amritsar, Punjab, but it needed the approval from the Indian government.
The high traffic from Punjab, especially Amritsar, notwithstanding, the city was left out from the recent pact between India and Canada when new destinations of direct flights from Canada. At present, direct flights to Canada are available from Delhi and Mumbai only. Before the tweet, Alghabra had also said the same things in an interview to a Canadian FM channel. “We will continue to advocate for the Canadian people with the Indian government so that they get more travel options,” he said.
“As Canadian MPs representing vast and diverse communities, we write to highlight the significant economic and social value in establishing direct flights between Canada and Amritsar.”
— Canadian MPs Tim Uppal, Jasraj Singh Hallan, Bradley Vis, and Mark Strahl in a letter addressed to Air Canada
Iqwinder S Gaheer, MP for Mississauga-Malton, later tweeted the same interview and said, “The Canadian government wants this to happen and is ready to make it happen. However, we need the Indian government to approve direct flights to Amritsar. They have stated that they are not ready to do this yet.” He also said that a large number of Indian travellers from Canada were headed to Punjab and they had been demanding this for a long time. “Two nations must both agree and currently, one does not. This is not for a lack of trying from this government,” he said.
In a letter addressed to Air Canada recently, Canadian MPs Tim Uppal, Jasraj Singh Hallan, Bradley Vis, and Mark Strahl had called for direct flights between Canada and Amritsar to bolster tourism and for families to stay connected. “As Canadian MPs representing vast and diverse communities, we write to highlight the significant economic and social value in establishing direct flights between Canada and Amritsar,” the letter read.
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