Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu today virtually flagged off the Alliance Air flight connecting Pithoragarh and Dehradun. In a social media post, Mr Naidu said that for hill states like Uttarakhand, aerial connectivity is of immense significance in reducing travel time and unlocking the vast potential of its natural, spiritual and adventure tourism. He added that, considering the challenging terrain and strategic importance of Pithoragarh, the operational responsibility of Naini Saini Airport has also been assigned to the Airports Authority of India. The Minister highlighted that the modified UDAN scheme approved by the Union Cabinet also put special emphasis on developing aviation infrastructure in hilly states.