Riyaz ul Khaliq
SRINAGAR
Now, people flying to and from Kashmir can come and take off from Srinagar late in the evenings.
Yes, night flights will now be a reality and first flight in this regard will start later Wednesday evening.
Sources in the government revealed this morning that Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti is scheduled to visit the Srinagar’s Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport to see the beginning of this “major step”.
Sources informed air carrier Go Air will start the night flights around 6:4o late this evening. More than 35 flights take off and land at the Srinagar’s only civil airport on daily basis.
People, especially from hospitality sector have been demanding this facility and subsequent governments have been raising this issue with the Union Home and Defence Ministries.
Initially, paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force had been raising objections to operation of night flights at the Srinagar. It had cited “security concerns”.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the nodal agency looking after the air route to Kashmir.
The night flights will, stake holders believe, add to the tourism flow to Kashmir. “It certainly is a major sector with regard to hospitality sector of Jammu and Kashmir,” a tourism player from Srinagar said.
