Srinagar boasts of int’l airport without int’l flights!

According to the Valley-based traders’ groups and Umrah tour operators even as the airport at Srinagar was granted ‘international status’ and rechristened as Sheik-ul Aalam International Airport some years ago, “such a title has brought no benefit to the business community.”
According to Umrah tour operators the non-operation of international flights particularly the Srinagar-Jeddah flight is “making our packages noncompetitive.”
Currently the average Umrah package in the Valley is being sold at Rs 70,000 to Rs 75,000. According to the operators the airfare constitutes the major component in the package. “We have to plan the circuitous air travel because of non-availability of direct Srinagar-Jeddah flights,” they said.
Giving details they said the package cost increases because the air travel has to be planned from Srinagar to Delhi and Delhi to Jeddah and vice-versa, which entails two night-stays at Delhi during roundtrip.
“The pilgrim has to pay avoidable charges on boarding and lodging and transport at Delhi and air tickets from Srinagar to Delhi and vice versa. This at least puts an extra burden of Rs 10,000-20,000 on a pilgrim,” Nisar Jan Wani, president J&K Hajj Umrah Tour Operators Association (HUTOA), said, adding that if the direct Srinagar-Jeddah flights are available a pilgrim can at least save this much of amount.
According to Wani the package would costs would come down by at least Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 if the direct flights operate from Srinagar airport.
Wani suggested that if not daily, the airlines (Air India) could easily operate once in a week a direct flight from Srinagar to Jeddah and vice versa for Umrah pilgrims. “If that happens not only will the package costs come down, it will also enable more and more people to perform Umrah,” he added.
Meanwhile, the association appealed Prime Minster Narendra Modi to personally intervene in the matter and make international flights from Srinagar airport to Jeddah operational forthwith.