Leh: The Ladakh administration has indicated that it will look into a demand to extend its subsidized helicopter service to
Nyoma and Durbuk, two remote subdivisions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in the eastern part of the Union Territory.
The demand was raised by Konchok Stanzin, a former executive councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.
In a post on X on Wednesday, he appealed to the lieutenant governor of Ladakh, VK Saxena, and the chief secretary, Ashish Kundra, to include the two places in the service to the Changthang region.
“We deserve equal access to this facility,” he wrote.
Kundra responded to the post, saying: “Ok we will find a solution.” The reply did not mention a timeline, a cost or the manner in which the service might be extended.
Nyoma and Durbuk lie in Changthang, a sparsely populated high-altitude plateau in eastern Ladakh. Road travel in the region can become difficult in winter, which makes air links especially important for residents, particularly in medical and other emergencies.
The administration restarted the subsidized helicopter service on September 30 to improve connectivity between Leh and remote parts of the Union Territory. It currently links Leh with seven destinations – Kargil, Padum, Lingshed, Dibling, Nyerak, Diskit and Turtuk.
Pawan Hans Limited operates the service under a lease agreement supported by the Union home ministry.
The service was expanded and revised in December 2025, when it was launched with online booking and subsidized fares.
The administration has described it as a lifeline for villages cut off by snow and as a means of supporting tourism.
Nyoma and Durbuk are not among the present destinations, though both are in a strategically sensitive border belt. Residents of the area have long pressed for better access to health care, supplies and administrative services.
