Dehradun, Oct. 2 -- Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday virtually inaugurated helicopter services on the Pithoragarh-Munsiyari and Haldwani-Almora routes, terming the initiative a milestone in improving connectivity to remote regions of Uttarakhand. The services, launched under the Union government's Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), will operate daily with two flights on each route. Dhami said the launch will not only reduce travel time but also give a major push to tourism and local economies. "Almora and Munsiyari are historically and culturally important towns of Uttarakhand. Their natural beauty, ancient temples and rich heritage attract visitors from across the country and abroad. With this heli service, access has become easier, and the journey from Haldwani to Almora, which earlier took 3 to 4 hours, will now be completed in minutes," he said. Highlighting the state's efforts to expand air connectivity, Dhami credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UDAN initiative for making air travel affordable and accessible in hilly states. "Airstrips and heliports are being developed in several districts. Work is underway to operationalise 18 heliports, of which services have already started at 12," the CM said. He said currently, heli services are connecting Gauchar, Joshimath, Haldwani, Munsiyari, Mussoorie, Pithoragarh, Pantnagar, Champawat, Bageshwar, Nainital and Almora. "The government is also planning to link more destinations in the future. Parallel efforts are on to upgrade Jolly Grant (Dehradun) and Pantnagar airports to international standards to strengthen global connectivity", he said....