Efforts on to complete lighting project for night flight operations at Srinagar airport

By PTI
SRINAGAR: Efforts are afoot to complete the lighting project at Srinagar airport which will improve the night visibility required for facilitating flights in low visibility throughout the year, an official spokesman said.

He said detailed deliberations were held during a meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on the possibility of operationalising commercial flights at night hours at the airports of Srinagar and Jammu by incorporating suitable facilities and arrangements.

“To improve night-visibility at the Srinagar Airport, efforts are afoot to complete the lighting project at the earliest which would facilitate flights during low visibility round-the-year through concerted coordination with Indian Air Force,” the spokesman said.

The meeting, attended by J-K Chief Secretary A K Mehta and other officials, reviewed the implementation of various schemes in civil aviation, agriculture and horticulture sectors in the two Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, he said.

The ongoing air-strip repair works at Jammu airport will be completed this week followed by the installation of lights by the month-end to enable operation of night flights there, the spokesman said.

He said the meeting was informed that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is planning to establish international air connectivity through the Srinagar airport which currently operates international flights for Hajj pilgrimage only.

The J-K Chief Secretary apprised the Union Home Secretary that infrastructural and technical facilities exist at Srinagar airport to operate flights up to 10 pm.

However, during the winter months, visibility is greatly reduced causing interruptions to air connectivity.

The Home Secretary also reviewed the status of high-density horticulture plantations and their speedy transportation to wider markets, the spokesman said.

It was informed that to facilitate the marketing of agricultural and farm products of the northeastern and Himalayan states/UTs, Krishi-Udan scheme was recently launched.

The scheme aims to benefit the local farmers by providing a 50 percent freight subsidy for air transportation of the perishable products, he said.

This would enable shipment of perishable products from Jammu and Kashmir to other parts of the country, he added.