The Centre on Monday declined to commit to any roadmap for expanding domestic or international flight operations from the newly operational Halwara Airport in Punjab, saying decisions on launching new routes rest entirely with airlines based on commercial viability.Replying to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Dr Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said Air India currently operates 28 domestic flights a week to and from Halwara Airport under the approved schedule.The government, however, did not spell out any plans for adding new domestic sectors or commencing international operations from the airport over the next two years.Responding to queries on direct flights from Ludhiana to Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad, the Centre said India’s domestic aviation sector has remained deregulated since the repeal of the Air Corporations Act in 1994.It said airlines are free to determine the routes they operate, the aircraft they deploy and the markets they wish to serve. As a result, the decision to introduce services from Halwara or any other airport depends entirely on the operational and commercial viability assessed by airline operators.The reply did not indicate whether the government had held consultations with scheduled airlines for launching additional services from Halwara, nor did it provide any timeline for introducing flights to major metropolitan cities sought by the MP.With no firm commitment on route expansion, the Centre effectively left the future growth of Halwara Airport in the hands of airline operators.Halwara Airport became operational for commercial flights on May 15 this year with Air India launching four daily services between Delhi and Halwara, becoming the first airline to operate from the airport. The flights are operated using A320 family aircraft, taking the total weekly departures to 28.The flight timings were designed to cater to business travellers and provide seamless onward international connectivity through Delhi. Passengers from Ludhiana and the surrounding industrial belt can connect on a single ticket to destinations such as London, Birmingham, Paris, Rome and Milan, with through check-in of baggage, reducing transit time for both business and leisure travellers.