Stakeholders say it is not a civil airport but army air-base ‘acting as an impediment to Valley’s economic prosperity’
The frequent disruption of flights at the Srinagar “International” Airport has once again given rise to the clamour of having a civil airport in the summer capital, with stakeholders asking the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to free the aerodrome from the direct control of the Indian Air Force.
President of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mushtaq Ahmad, said the Chief Minister “should prioritize taking back the control of Srinagar Airport from IAF” and allow the Airports Authority of India (AAI) “to operate it like other airports.”
“We don’t have an airport in Srinagar. It’s an army air base used as an airport where tourists only feel insecure in presence of forces. The Chief Minister needs to act and ensure that it is made a civil airport run by the AAI,” he told Greater Kashmir.
He said the “occupation” of the place by the IAF “sends a wrong signal among tourists and investors visiting the place” and “thus acts as a big impediment to the Valley’s economic growth and prosperity.”
The Srinagar Airport is again in news for wrong reasons for the past three days when flights have failed to operate owing to absence of an advanced landing gear that could facilitate operation of flights in low-visibility conditions.
The Airport is under the direct operational control of the Indian Air Force. The control of air traffic and that of the landing strip—including the facilities of fire-fighting and crash activities—is with the IAF while the terminal building, where the passengers check-in, is taken care of by the Airports Authority of India. The AAI also controls the apron area (where an aircraft is parked), but the airspace control is with the IAF.
Chairman, Kashmir Economic Alliance, Muhammad Yaseen Khan termed the control of airport by the Indian Air Force as “illegal occupation”.
“Wherever Indian forces find an open piece of land in Kashmir, they illegally occupy it. The unfortunate part is that our state governments over the years have always acted as lame ducks in front of the Union Home and Defence Ministries as a result of which our prime locations are under the control of the forces,” Khan said.
“Occupation of the Srinagar Airport by the IAF is a clear example how Indian government wants to trample our economy. It was evident in the past three days when flights could not operate at the Airport because Indian government hasn’t put in place an Instrumentation Landing System there to facilitate operation of flights even during low visibility,” he added.
Business leaders opine that the outdated ILS at the Srinagar airport has far-reaching impact on Kashmir’s economy as the landlocked Valley is heavily dependent on air connectivity for economy and travelling purposes, especially in view of frequent closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway in winters.
Due to cancellation of flights, Kashmir’s tourism has been badly affected while courier and air cargo services also took a hit.
On an average, 22 to 25 flights operate at Srinagar Airport daily.
The air travel is also preferred mode of travelling for patients who visit outside the state for medical check-ups.
Chairman, KEA (Chowdhary faction), ShowkatChowdhary stated that “ours is the only “International” airport which does not even have proper terminal and everything inside it is meant for army purposes.”
“It is a grave issue that has been haunting us for decades. We will mobilize opinion and pressurize the government to take control of the Srinagar Airport. The IAF already has a separate airbase at Awantipora, let them operate from there,” Chowdhary said.
President, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owner Federation, Javid Ahmad Burza said the development of tourism sector is only possible after the state government would provide a “civilian airport”.
“For last three days tourist arrivals have dipped and business has suffered a lot due to non-operation of flights which is unheard of in other parts of the world,” he added.