India, April 2 -- Flight operations from Halwara airport near Ludhiana will commence on May 15 with bookings expected to open soon, officials said on Wednesday.

Initial services will include two Air India flights connecting Ludhiana with Delhi, bringing to fruition a long-pending demand of over three decades.

Bookings for the Delhi-Ludhiana-Delhi sector are expected to open shortly. Tickets are witnessing brisk demand even ahead of the official launch.

The development has also sparked a political tussle, with leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staking claim for the achievement. Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu and Punjab cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora took to social ...