No direct Haj flights from J&K this year

New Delhi When national carrier Air India lost the bid this year to Saudi airlines for carrying out Haj operations in India, it was bad news for pilgrims from J&K. 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 state government.
Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah raised the matter in a meeting with PM Manmohan Singh on Monday.
“When the Srinagar airport has been designated international, then why stop foreign carriers from flying from there? If domestic carriers can fly to international destinations from Srinagar, then why not foreign carriers?” said CM Omar Abdullah in a telephonic conversation with The Indian Express.
06/10/10 Smita Aggarwal/Express India/Kashmirlive.com

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

Categories: airports Oct 2010, Foreign Oct 2010, NACIL Oct 2010