What has triggered concern in public circles, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has this year again failed to ensure direct Hajj flights from the Srinagar “International” Airport.
In June this year, the State’s Civil Aviation Department had asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation to revive the direct Hajj flights in the wake of inconvenience that the pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir face while making a stopover at Delhi before boarding the onward flight to Jeddah—a request that has not been acceded to, as on date.
A New Delhi-based newspaper Thursday reported that for the second year in a row, foreign carriers Saudi Airlines and NAS Air have won the global tender to fly the pilgrims by bidding the lowest fare of $1,200 per passenger. Air India had quoted almost $ 2,000 a passenger.
With the national carrier losing the bid, it has come as a bad news for pilgrims from J&K especially in the wake of reports that foreign airlines are barred from carrying out operations from the Srinagar airport even though it has been designated as an international airport. This means that there will be no direct flights to Saudi Arabia from the Valley — an issue which has deeply upset the pilgrims.
While the Civil Aviation Ministry has reportedly approached the Union Home Ministry to allow the Saudi-Arabian airline—NAS Air—to fly pilgrims directly from Kashmir, sources said the chances were bleak “and the only way out was to ensure that the contract is awarded to the national carrier.”
At least 8000 pilgrims from J&K are scheduled to go for the holy pilgrimage this year. And for them, the news of indirect flights has come as a shocker. “It is outrageous to cause inconvenience to thousands of pilgrims from J&K. What is the fun of naming the Srinagar Airport as an international airport when you can’t allow foreign airlines to operate on it?” asked a Hajj aspirant, Ghulam Muhammad of Chanapora. “Since 2009, the J&K Government has miserably failed to ensure direct flights from Srinagar to Jeddah, as would be the case before. It is better to remove this international tag from the Srinagar Airport. It is misleading.”
While it is argued that foreign airlines cannot be allowed to operate direct flights from Srinagar as Pakistan allegedly does not allow foreign airlines to use its airspace (other than Indian) while flying to and from Srinagar, sources say that “Srinagar airport being a defence aerodrome” compounds the problem.
According to sources, the foreign airlines have their own considerations and priorities while selecting the embarkation points. “Earlier it would be the state-owned Air India that would ferry Hajjis from India. They had no problem in operating from the Srinagar airport, which essentially is a Defence airport. But once it is an international airline, they think twice before operating from such aerodromes,” said an airport official, insisting not to be named.
He said the foreign airlines often perceive the places, where there is a Defence airport, as “disturbed.”
The Hajj pilgrims are scheduled to leave for the pilgrimage from October 17 to October 31.
In June this year, the state government had asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation that it is better to give direct contract to Air India even if it means a little more expenditure by the pilgrims. Or, it has sought a mechanism whereby direct Hajj flights operate from the Srinagar airport to avoid inconvenience to the pilgrims.
Pertinently the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also raised the issue with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh while the Congress Chief in J&K, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz had also pitched for the direct Hajj flights. But to no avail.
Source : greaterkashmir.com
In June this year, the State’s Civil Aviation Department had asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation to revive the direct Hajj flights in the wake of inconvenience that the pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir face while making a stopover at Delhi before boarding the onward flight to Jeddah—a request that has not been acceded to, as on date.
A New Delhi-based newspaper Thursday reported that for the second year in a row, foreign carriers Saudi Airlines and NAS Air have won the global tender to fly the pilgrims by bidding the lowest fare of $1,200 per passenger. Air India had quoted almost $ 2,000 a passenger.
With the national carrier losing the bid, it has come as a bad news for pilgrims from J&K especially in the wake of reports that foreign airlines are barred from carrying out operations from the Srinagar airport even though it has been designated as an international airport. This means that there will be no direct flights to Saudi Arabia from the Valley — an issue which has deeply upset the pilgrims.
While the Civil Aviation Ministry has reportedly approached the Union Home Ministry to allow the Saudi-Arabian airline—NAS Air—to fly pilgrims directly from Kashmir, sources said the chances were bleak “and the only way out was to ensure that the contract is awarded to the national carrier.”
At least 8000 pilgrims from J&K are scheduled to go for the holy pilgrimage this year. And for them, the news of indirect flights has come as a shocker. “It is outrageous to cause inconvenience to thousands of pilgrims from J&K. What is the fun of naming the Srinagar Airport as an international airport when you can’t allow foreign airlines to operate on it?” asked a Hajj aspirant, Ghulam Muhammad of Chanapora. “Since 2009, the J&K Government has miserably failed to ensure direct flights from Srinagar to Jeddah, as would be the case before. It is better to remove this international tag from the Srinagar Airport. It is misleading.”
While it is argued that foreign airlines cannot be allowed to operate direct flights from Srinagar as Pakistan allegedly does not allow foreign airlines to use its airspace (other than Indian) while flying to and from Srinagar, sources say that “Srinagar airport being a defence aerodrome” compounds the problem.
According to sources, the foreign airlines have their own considerations and priorities while selecting the embarkation points. “Earlier it would be the state-owned Air India that would ferry Hajjis from India. They had no problem in operating from the Srinagar airport, which essentially is a Defence airport. But once it is an international airline, they think twice before operating from such aerodromes,” said an airport official, insisting not to be named.
He said the foreign airlines often perceive the places, where there is a Defence airport, as “disturbed.”
The Hajj pilgrims are scheduled to leave for the pilgrimage from October 17 to October 31.
In June this year, the state government had asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation that it is better to give direct contract to Air India even if it means a little more expenditure by the pilgrims. Or, it has sought a mechanism whereby direct Hajj flights operate from the Srinagar airport to avoid inconvenience to the pilgrims.
Pertinently the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also raised the issue with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh while the Congress Chief in J&K, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz had also pitched for the direct Hajj flights. But to no avail.
Source : greaterkashmir.com
