Rajasansi airport blips off airlines’ radar

Amritsar: If the dip in Indo-Pak trade through the Attari border land route was not enough, there’s more bad news for the region. Singapore Airlines has called off its direct Amritsar-Singapore flight, started four years back amid much fanfare. A few domestic airlines have already announced that they may call off their operations to cut costs, leading to speculation regarding the status of
Rajasansi as an international airport. The airport is already facing trouble due to lack of sufficient infrastructure and facilities.
If Singapore Airlines takes away its thrice-a-week flight on November 4, as announced, Rajasansi would have little reason to be called an international terminus, as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and some other airlines have already reduced the frequency of their flights. Pulling off this major flight would also prove detrimental to tourism, as the direct flights attracted a sizeable Punjabi diaspora to the holy city to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple.
Singapore Airlines spokesperson Gunjan Chanana, when contacted, said that the company has decided to suspend the flight for the time being and the passengers booked in advance would be adjusted in their Delhi-Singapore flight. She said that their staff had also been informed to call off the operations and they would be shifted to other stations.
02/11/08 Dharmendra Rataul/Chandigarh Newsline

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Categories: Airports Nov 2008