If cleared, flights can land at Srinagar until 10 pm

IN AUGUST, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) operated a “successful” test flight from Srinagar as the first step in its plan to start night operations from the Valley. Three months on, authorities are still waiting for airline operators to sign up.

“Everything is ready from our side. The test flight in August was successful and we are waiting for airlines to come forward. Our job is to provide the infrastructure, which is ready at the airport,” Akash Deep, director, Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport, told The Indian Express.

According to Deep, only one airline operator had expressed interest to start night flights. “The airline submitted a proposal a month-and-a-half ago. But there is no fresh update (from them) about when they are starting the flight,” he said.

Srinagar’s international airport belongs to the IAF, and the AAI manages the civilian enclave, which includes a passenger terminal building and a civil apron. According to Deep, the IAF has allowed flight operations in Srinagar till 8 pm.

Night flights from Srinagar has been a longstanding demand of operators in the tourism sector. “We had even framed itineraries and offers with the starting of night flights in mind. The authorities initially announced that the airport is ready for night flights. But three months have passed, and everyone in the tourism industry here is disappointed,” Rauf Tramboo, president, Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK), said.

Over 30 flights are operated daily from the Srinagar airport to different parts of the country. At present, there are no international flights from the airport, except for Hajj operations.

“The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has approved the Standard Operating Procedure on night operations for Srinagar. However, operation of flights on any route or at any particular time is the commercial decision of the airline. There is no hold-up from DGCA,” B S Bhullar, DGCA chief, said. —(With Pranav Mukul in Delhi)