Airliners operating on Srinagar route have decided to add seven new flights in their summer schedule, submitted to central aviation regulator. It will take total number of flights operating to Srinagar to 38.
An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said the newflights include a Delhi-Srinagar flight of AirAsia and three new flights of JetAirways which will increase the airliners total number of flights to Srinagarto four.
GoAir which had discontinued twice-a-week Srinagar-Lehflight in winter has also resumed operations between Valley and Ladakh.
“Air India has also introduced a flight from Delhi toSrinagar. The more the number of flights, the lesser the airfares,” theofficial said.
Srinagar airport which handles more than 2.3 millionpassengers every year has been witnessing high airfares, mostly duringinclement weather and peak tourist season. There were more than 200 flightcancellations recorded at the Srinagar airport, between January and March thisyear, mostly due to inclement weather.
An executive of a private airliner said the DGCA hadrecently called representatives of various airline companies in Delhi and askedthem to ensure affordable air travel to Kashmir during upcoming summer, thepeak tourist season.
“There was also a meeting of all airlines withrepresentatives of Union aviation ministry and the former were clearly told tokeep airfares under check,” said the airline official.
Amid addition in number of flights, tourism players andfrequent flyers say commencement of night operations at the airport was theonly way to keep a check on high airfares and give a boost to tourism in theValley.
“Evening flights is the need of the hour and we haverepeatedly taken it up with the aviation ministry. We hope night landing isinstalled at the airport soon,” said President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce andIndustry, Sheikh Ashiq.