Pithoragarh Airport (Naini Saini, NNS): Flights, Taxi and Distance

Flights at Pithoragarh

2 scheduled flights arrive and 2 leave. The winter schedule starts on 25 October and may move these times. Small airports lose flights to fog and weather, so check with the airline on the day.

Helicopters

Times from ixigo.com, amarujala.com, theprint.in, theweek.in and en.wikipedia.org, checked 22 Oct 2026. Flights change with the season; check with the airline before you travel.

About Pithoragarh Airport (Naini Saini)

• The runway (14/32) is asphalt, 1,600 m long and 30 m wide. It was lengthened twice, from 1,097 m and then 1,508 m. The airport can take ATR 72 aircraft and has apron space for two of them. (en.wikipedia.org, last updated 2026-08-14)
• Flightradar24 gives the airport's elevation as 5,007 ft. (flightradar24.com)

At the airport

• The passenger terminal covers 2,440 square metres and is rated for up to 300,000 passengers a year. There is also an ATC tower and a fire station. (en.wikipedia.org, last updated 2026-08-14)

From Pithoragarh to the hills

By road, the shorter of two routers on OpenStreetMap. Hill roads are slow: allow about 25 to 30 km an hour once the climb begins.

Where to stay: stays in Chaukori, stays in Almora, stays in Munsiyari, stays in Gunji.

Before you travel

• The 42-seat plane flies three days a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. In the morning it flies Delhi to Naini Saini, then on to Dehradun, back to Naini Saini, and then returns to Delhi. (amarujala.com, 2026-08-04)
• On 4 August 2026 strong gusts and dark clouds stopped the Delhi flight from landing. The pilot held over Nepal for about 15 minutes, then landed once the wind eased. The onward Dehradun flight was cancelled after a 25 minute wait, and some passengers took taxis instead. (amarujala.com, 2026-08-04)
• A hill on one side of the runway means planes can land from one direction only, into the wind. When the wind is strong this is unsafe, so flights are often cancelled in bad weather. (amarujala.com, 2026-08-05)
• Heritage Aviation's UDAN page lists Dehradun, Nainital, Bageshwar, Munsiyari, Pithoragarh, Almora, Champawat and Haldwani. Online booking is at airheritage.in. Dharchula and Gunji are not listed. (heritageaviation.in)

Lately

• The airstrip was built in 1991 for government use. It joined the UDAN scheme in January 2019, with Heritage Aviation flying 9-seat aircraft to Dehradun, Ghaziabad (Hindon) and Pantnagar. Service became patchy after November 2019 and stopped in February 2020. (en.wikipedia.org, last updated 2026-08-14)
• Pawan Hans started regular helicopter services from Pithoragarh to Dehradun and Pantnagar in August 2022. (en.wikipedia.org, last updated 2026-08-14)
• In February 2023 the Union Cabinet approved the Indian Air Force taking over the airport, with civil flights to continue. FlyBig resumed flights to Dehradun on 30 January 2024 with a 19-seat Twin Otter. (en.wikipedia.org, last updated 2026-08-14)
• Alliance Air's Dehradun to Pithoragarh flight ran for about a year, stopped in October 2025, and restarted on 26 March 2026 after nearly six months. It uses a 42-seat plane, flies three days a week and takes about one hour. Alliance Air also flies Delhi to Pithoragarh. (theprint.in, 2026-03-26)
• The Airports Authority of India and the Uttarakhand government signed an MoU for AAI to take over the airport on 9 November 2025. The airport is being developed at a cost of Rs 450 crore. (theprint.in, 2026-03-26)
• The civil aviation minister said operational responsibility for Naini Saini Airport has been given to AAI, because of the hard terrain and the strategic importance of Pithoragarh. (newsonair.gov.in, 2026-03-26)
• From April 2025 to March 2026 the airport handled 17,701 passengers (up 8.8 percent) and 3,552 aircraft movements (up 43.3 percent), per AAI figures. (en.wikipedia.org, last updated 2026-08-14)
• The airport has passed to AAI and a plan to expand it onto about 53 hectares is moving ahead, which officials say will end the one-way landing limit. No start date has been set, and local landowners oppose giving more land. (amarujala.com, 2026-08-05)
• On 1 October 2025 the Chief Minister opened UDAN helicopter services from Pithoragarh to Munsiyari and from Haldwani to Almora, run by Heritage Aviation. Each route flies twice a day, seven days a week, for Rs 2,500 a person. (theweek.in, 2025-10-01)
• Helicopters fly daily from Naini Saini to Haldwani, Almora and Munsiyari. On 28 and 29 July 2026 rain and thick fog on the hills cut visibility, and all three routes were cancelled both days. Passengers switched to buses and taxis. (amarujala.com, 2026-07-29)
• On 18 and 19 February 2026 the Haldwani to Pithoragarh and Munsiyari helicopters did not fly. Airport sources blamed a NOTAM issued from Delhi. Ticket holders went by taxi. (amarujala.com, 2026-02-19)

The weather at Pithoragarh now

At Pithoragarh, 2 km away, at 1,645 m.

Pithoragarh weather: the next 24 hours, 10 days and every month.

Temples near Pithoragarh

• Mostamanu Temple: 12 km by road
• Baleshwar Temple: 78 km by road
• Haat Kalika Temple: 82 km by road
• Jageshwar Dham: 90 km by road
• Patal Bhuvaneshwar: 94 km by road
• Chitai Golu Devta Temple: 111 km by road

Other stations and airports near Pithoragarh

• Tanakpur Railway Station: 152 km by road
• Kathgodam Railway Station: 182 km by road
• Haldwani Railway Station: 191 km by road
• Lalkuan Junction Railway Station: 233 km by road
• Ramnagar Railway Station: 242 km by road