Advocates Urge PM Carney to Secure Canada-Amritsar Flights During India Visit

Advocacy groups are leveraging Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to India to press for the establishment of direct flights between Canada and Amritsar. Organizations including the FlyAmritsar Initiative and the Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) are calling for the issue to be a key agenda item in high-level talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing a restrictive bilateral air agreement as the primary obstacle.

The push for non-stop service from cities like Toronto and Vancouver to Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport (ATQ) aims to better serve a significant community. According to the 2021 Canadian Census, the Punjabi diaspora in Canada numbers approximately 950,000 people. For this community and other travelers, the current journey to Punjab can take 25-35 hours due to long layovers, typically in Delhi. Direct flights would dramatically reduce travel time for those visiting family or making pilgrimages to the Golden Temple.

The Regulatory Hurdle

A key focus of the advocacy is the current Canada-India Air Transport Agreement. While a recent expansion allows for an unlimited number of flights between the two countries, a significant imbalance remains. Under the agreement, Indian-designated carriers have open access to fly into Canada from any point in India. In contrast, Canadian carriers are restricted to operating flights to only six metropolitan airports: Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Amritsar is not on this list.

This restriction effectively prevents Canadian airlines from launching their own services to ATQ. Anantdeep Singh Dhillon and Sameep Singh Gumtala of the FlyAmritsar Initiative stated in a joint release, “Prime Minister Carney’s visit represents a reset in bilateral relations. Direct flights are no longer just a matter of convenience, they are a necessity for trade, education and family ties.”

Undeniable Market Demand

Evidence suggests strong demand for more direct connectivity. According to Transport Canada, India is the country's 4th largest international air transport market. In 2019, traffic between the two nations reached 1.76 million two-way passengers, with a staggering 87% of them flying on indirect routes. This indicates a substantial market ready to be captured by non-stop services.

Air carriers appear to recognize this demand. Air India is scheduled to increase its Delhi-Toronto frequency from seven to 10 weekly flights, signaling confidence in the Canada-India corridor. Because Indian carriers face no restrictions on their points of origin in India, advocates argue that Air India is positioned to launch a Canada-Amritsar route immediately.

“With Air India set to increase Toronto frequencies... the market demand is undeniable,” said Gumtala. “However, because Canadian airlines currently lack the bilateral rights to fly directly to Amritsar, the immediate solution lies with Indian carriers. We urge Prime Minister Carney to raise this in his talks... strongly advocating for airlines like Air India to commence direct Canada-Amritsar flights, or alternatively, to negotiate expanded access for Canadian carriers.”

Bipartisan Political Momentum

The campaign for direct flights has garnered significant political support within Canada. A parliamentary e-petition for the route, sponsored by Conservative MP Brad Vis, collected over 20,000 signatures in 30 days. The issue has also received backing from prominent members of the governing Liberal party, including Minister Ruby Sahota, indicating cross-party consensus on the importance of the issue for the Indo-Canadian community.

The outcome of this long-standing advocacy effort now hinges on the diplomatic discussions between the two national leaders. The advocates' goal is a revision to the bilateral air transport agreement that either grants Canadian carriers access to Amritsar or secures a commitment from an Indian carrier to service the route.

Why This Matters

This initiative highlights a growing trend where diaspora communities actively lobby for air links that reflect modern demographic and economic ties, rather than just traditional capital-to-capital routes. A successful outcome could set a precedent for how bilateral air service agreements are negotiated globally, potentially giving more weight to community-driven demand. For the Canada-India market, it could fundamentally reshape travel patterns, capturing a significant share of the millions of passengers who currently rely on indirect, multi-stop itineraries.

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