Making Srinagar airport international won’t help: Experts

Srinagar: The international flight from Dubai to Srinagar and back won’t improve Kashmir tourism until Srinagar International Airport, which is currently under the control of Indian Air Force is declared ‘chartered’, tourism experts said here Sunday.
“You cannot expect a weekly flight to boost Kashmir tourism. The State needs chartered flights. The status of chartered airport cannot be given to Srinagar airport as it is still under the control of Indian Air Force,” noted tour operator and Director Shiraz Travels, Nazir Ahmad Bakshi told Rising Kashmir over phone from Mumbai. “The flight to Dubai can only help export perishable fruits or handicrafts from Kashmir to Dubai. However, that too depends on how many flights operate daily. It may be called a good beginning but nothing more than that. Flight to Dubai will give some relief in terms of exports of few tons of fruits and carpets,” he said.
Bakshi said that the tour operators had suggested that flights from London, Malaysia, Middle East, Russia, Canada and other countries be scheduled to Srinagar via Delhi, which is the other way Kashmir tourism can be revived.
“This is possible through add-on fares. The government should have pondered over this idea rather than start a weekly flight to Dubai,” he said.
15/02/09 Baba Umar/Rising Kashmir

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Categories: Airports Feb 2009