Sky-rocketing fuel prices ground flights at Rajasansi airport

Amritsar: The hike in aviation fuel has affected not only bigger airports in the country, but also smaller airports like Rajasansi, where various international and domestic flights have been cancelled. The number of flights at Amritsar International Airport has witnessed a mammoth fall of over 20 per cent for the first time since it was given international status a decade back.
Trans-Aero Airlines, which had three weekly flights to Moscow, has suspended its operations temporarily. Slovakia Airlines also has cancelled its direct flight to Bratislava twice a week for this season. “Leaving aside popular domestic and international flights, several other ‘uneconomical’ flights have also been temporarily suspended,” confirmed director of the airport, Arun Talwar.
Talwar said the soaring oil prices and rising inflation has hit the aviation industry in a big way and smaller airports like Rajasansi are also bearing the brunt. He added that Indian Airlines, Air India, Deccan and Jet Airways are also filing requests to cancel some of their so-called “uneconomical” flights or reduce the frequency in wake of the rising prices of aviation fuel.
The airport manages about 135 flights in a week and the number has been rising due to the large population of Sikh diaspora abroad visiting the city of the Golden Temple.
25/07/08 Dharmendra Rataul/Chandigarh Newsline

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Jul 2008