The proposed closure of Kashmir’s only civilian airport for weeks starting in July has sparked concern in the Valley, with chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday taking up the issue with central ministers to caution them on the move’s impact on lives and tourism here.
The announcement comes weeks after the Union cabinet approved the development of the Srinagar airport civil enclave at an estimated cost of ₹1,677 crore to enhance passenger-handling capacity, modernise aviation infrastructure and significantly improve air connectivity to and from Kashmir.
Separately, Srinagar airport recently issued a passenger advisory that said a total closure of runway operations was proposed from October 1 to October 16. An official said repairs were being done as part of Phase III of the runway-resurfacing project.
It also said the runway would remain unavailable on Mondays and Tuesdays from July 1 to September 30. The operations will thus remain suspended for around seven weeks between July 1 and October 16.
An official spokesperson said Omar held back-to-back meetings with defence minister Rajnath Singh and Union minister for civil aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in New Delhi on Friday to raise concerns over the proposed closure of the airport.
In a statement, an official spokesperson said the chief minister underscored the importance of maintaining uninterrupted air connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir, particularly during the peak autumn tourism season when the Valley attracts a large number of visitors from across the country.
The chief minister requested the defence minister to explore the possibility of operating civilian flights from the Awantipora Air Base, as was done during similar airport closures in 1998 and 2010.