Srinagar, Dec 27: The cry for having a civil airport in Kashmir seems to be getting shriller, with stakeholders now approaching the Prime Minster’s Expert Group on job avenues in Jammu and Kashmir, headed by Dr C Rangarajan, with the demand.
In its set of demands submitted to Dr Rangarjan, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance (JKTA), has underscored the need to have an ‘exclusive civil airport’ for Kashmir. “Unlike other cities, Srinagar has an airport which is owned and managed by the Indian Air Force including operation of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and access to runways, except the terminal building which is managed by Airport Authority of India. The Air Force have many a times closed this airport for civil aviation operations for weeks together because of their need, which has brought tourist inflow by air to a grinding halt besides immense hardships to other sections of air travellers,” writes the JKTA chairman, G M Dug, in its letter to Dr Rangarajan.
Dug mentions the ‘troubles’ they face in absence of the civil aerodrome. “Air Force starts its aerial exercises usually in the morning and evening hours during which movement of civilian aircrafts is totally disallowed at Srinagar International Airport by the Air Force Authorities. It is therefore high time that a decision to equip Srinagar with an airport, owned and managed by civil authorities like AAI, is taken,” the letter, copy of which is with Greater Kashmir, reads.
Earlier this year, the IAF closed down the airport for 12 days, shifting the flight operation to its base in Awantipora, 25 kms from here. The decision drew flak from many quarters associated with Kashmir tourism and also triggered the demand of having a civil airport in Kashmir “devoid of any interference from IAF.”
In September this year, when the airport was closed, the stakeholders had urged the state government to consider a civil airport for the Valley to ease their sufferings. “If the Srinagar airport is run by the Airport Authority of India like others airports in India, then we may possibly not have the problems like flights blackout in future. Such drastic steps affect people in general and the stakeholders in particular. It has become imperative that the Valley must have a civil airport,” Siraj Ahmad, who heads the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA), had told this newspaper.
According to airline officials, the bar on timing was yet something drastically affecting them.
This time the IAF has asked the airlines to operate their aircraft between 9 AM to 4.30 PM. This, the officials believe, was hampering operation of more flights to and from Srinagar, and also the prospect of night landing facility.
“We are just at the beck and call of IAF this time because they man the runway of the Srinagar airport. That impedes the possibility of operating more flights to Kashmir even though there is a dire need of that,” said an airline official, insisting not to be named.
OFFICIALS SPEAK
According to officials at the Srinagar airport, it was not difficult for the AAI to man the Srinagar airport. “The AAI mans around 126 aerodromes in India. They are capable of handling the Srinagar airport also. But because it is defence enclave, the call to allow AAI to man it has to be taken at the highest levels in the central government,” said an airport official, insisting not to be named.
He said there were some technical issues also involved. “As per the norms of the International Civil Aviation Organization, there has to be a radius of 200 meters incase an alternate airport is to be established anywhere. This is precisely to avoid the conflict between their navigational aids. So if an alternate civil airport is to be established in Kashmir, this aspect has to be looked into,” the official said.
In its set of demands submitted to Dr Rangarjan, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance (JKTA), has underscored the need to have an ‘exclusive civil airport’ for Kashmir. “Unlike other cities, Srinagar has an airport which is owned and managed by the Indian Air Force including operation of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and access to runways, except the terminal building which is managed by Airport Authority of India. The Air Force have many a times closed this airport for civil aviation operations for weeks together because of their need, which has brought tourist inflow by air to a grinding halt besides immense hardships to other sections of air travellers,” writes the JKTA chairman, G M Dug, in its letter to Dr Rangarajan.
Dug mentions the ‘troubles’ they face in absence of the civil aerodrome. “Air Force starts its aerial exercises usually in the morning and evening hours during which movement of civilian aircrafts is totally disallowed at Srinagar International Airport by the Air Force Authorities. It is therefore high time that a decision to equip Srinagar with an airport, owned and managed by civil authorities like AAI, is taken,” the letter, copy of which is with Greater Kashmir, reads.
Earlier this year, the IAF closed down the airport for 12 days, shifting the flight operation to its base in Awantipora, 25 kms from here. The decision drew flak from many quarters associated with Kashmir tourism and also triggered the demand of having a civil airport in Kashmir “devoid of any interference from IAF.”
In September this year, when the airport was closed, the stakeholders had urged the state government to consider a civil airport for the Valley to ease their sufferings. “If the Srinagar airport is run by the Airport Authority of India like others airports in India, then we may possibly not have the problems like flights blackout in future. Such drastic steps affect people in general and the stakeholders in particular. It has become imperative that the Valley must have a civil airport,” Siraj Ahmad, who heads the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA), had told this newspaper.
According to airline officials, the bar on timing was yet something drastically affecting them.
This time the IAF has asked the airlines to operate their aircraft between 9 AM to 4.30 PM. This, the officials believe, was hampering operation of more flights to and from Srinagar, and also the prospect of night landing facility.
“We are just at the beck and call of IAF this time because they man the runway of the Srinagar airport. That impedes the possibility of operating more flights to Kashmir even though there is a dire need of that,” said an airline official, insisting not to be named.
OFFICIALS SPEAK
According to officials at the Srinagar airport, it was not difficult for the AAI to man the Srinagar airport. “The AAI mans around 126 aerodromes in India. They are capable of handling the Srinagar airport also. But because it is defence enclave, the call to allow AAI to man it has to be taken at the highest levels in the central government,” said an airport official, insisting not to be named.
He said there were some technical issues also involved. “As per the norms of the International Civil Aviation Organization, there has to be a radius of 200 meters incase an alternate airport is to be established anywhere. This is precisely to avoid the conflict between their navigational aids. So if an alternate civil airport is to be established in Kashmir, this aspect has to be looked into,” the official said.
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