Srinagar, Aug 1: As part of its expansion plan, ten new x-ray checking counters will be constructed at the entry gate of the Srinagar International Airport next year, Airport officials said.
This will take the total number of x-ray counters at the entry gate to 16, which is likely to save travel time of passengers.
Director, AAI, Srinagar Airport, Santosh Dhoke said at present there are 6 x-ray counters functional at the entry gate, while the ten new counters next year will help to “make travel convenient” Dhoke added.
Dhoke said the proposed expansion plan of the Airport, for which the ball was set rolling in 2016, is likely to witness completion sometime next year.
“The consultant for the Rs 1100 crore project has been appointed and architectural designs have been finalised. The tender preparation is under process and we hope it will be finalised by 2021 end” said Dhoke.
Dhoke said as part of the expansion plan, a new aerobridge (suspended, moveable tunnel which extends from an airport building to an aircraft), will also be constructed at the Airport.
“At present we have 4 aerobridges functional while the fifth is part of the expansion plan. As there has been an increase in air traffic and passenger footfalls of late, the new aerobridge will help in smooth passenger movement” said Dhoke.
It may be mentioned that Srinagar Airport is under direct operational control of the Indian Air Force (IAF), which controls its air traffic and landing strip and also the facilities of fire-fighting and crash activities, apart from the airspace. The terminal building, where the passengers check-in and check-out, and the apron area, where an aircraft is parked are however controlled by the AAI.
The airport, surrounded by dozens of villages and fruit orchards, is situated at a distance of 10 km from Lal Chowk, the city centre of Srinagar and is spread over more than 65 acres of land. The expansion of the airport has been planned after the Union tourism ministry recommended its upgradation, stating that failure to upgrade its facilities would lead to “bad publicity of Kashmir tourism sector”.