To woo more high-class travellers, scenic Himachal Pradesh plans to increase the frequency of flights to its tourist destinations and cut air fares by half later this month, the state tourism minister said Monday.


"We are in the process of working out a deal with Jagson Airlines to operate more flights to Shimla, Kullu and Dharamsala. The government is also considering reducing the tariffs by half," said Tourism Minister G.S. Bali.

Currently Jagson Airlines - a private scheduled carrier that also runs air-taxi services - operates three flights a week during the peak tourist season only to the popular resorts of Shimla, Kullu and Dharamsala.

"Soon Jagson will fly more flights on a round the year basis," Bali said.

The Oberoi hotel chain also operates occasional flights to fly its customers to the hill state. Besides, Air Deccan, a low-cost airline based in Bangalore, is considering connecting Himachal on its network, officials said.

"The tourism department is also considering hiring helicopters and operating sight-seeing flights to smaller towns, including those in the mountainous, tribal belt of the state," Bali said.

Some of the most picturesque, lesser-known spots in the hill state are connected by helicopters. The government wants to popularise these places with high-spending tourists.