In a significant move, the Jammu and Kashmir government has sought taking over control by civil authorities of Srinagar airport from the IAF. In this connection, chief minister Omar Abdullah has had a series of meetings with the Central leaders in the recent past. “I’ve talked with Union leadership about the need of giving total control of Srinagar civil airport to the civil aviation authority relieving Air Force from the job. This would further help to restore the civil status of Srinagar airport,” he disclosed at a meeting with the members of civil society held here on Tuesday. “I would continue to advocate and work for this proposal.”
The chief minister said that it was the improvement in the security situation in the Valley that has encouraged him to initiate several steps including seeking control over the Srinagar airport.
On international status of Srinagar airport, Mr Abdullah said that in fact denial by Pakistan to allow flights from Srinagar over their air space to foreign countries has put a big question mark to this ambitious programme.
“This is strange that our neighbour is allowing flights from any state of India over their air space excepting Jammu and Kashmir. We hope the better relations between the two countries will help to remove this bottleneck so that people in Jammu and Kashmir get benefitted equally,” he said and expressed hope that the friendship between the two countries will get further strengthened.