Determined to connect Shimla with regular flights, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed authorities to inform it by May 4 regarding air services to the hill resort and made it clear that it would not take no for an answer. "If 'no' is the categorical answer, we will pass an order against those responsible for this," the apex court said. Repeatedly pulled up by the court for not connecting Shimla by air, the Centre informed a bench of CJI TS Thakur and justices R Banumathi and UU Lalit that it had notified the city in the list of destinations connected by flight after due certification.

One of the top destinations for domestic and foreign tourists, there are no commercial flights to the city despite a full-fledged airport. The companies don't consider it a profitable route.

Additional solicitor general PS Patwalia told the bench that Himachal and Uttarakhand had been put in Category II of destination list, which is less profitable, and all the airlines were obliged to provide flights not less than 10% of the number of flights they were providing in profitable routes of Category I.

The Centre had issued a notification on April 19 for connecting Shimla with regular flights and all airlines would have to provide services, additional solicitor general PS Patwalia told the Supreme Court on Thursday.