Airlines to fly full capacity as load penalty on Jammu Airport scrapped

Ticket prices likely to come down

Nishikant Khajuria

JAMMU, Sept 30: Following resurfacing and extension of the runway, load penalty on Jammu Airport was scrapped today thus allowing airlines to fly full capacity, which will lead to lower fares and longer destinations by the aircrafts.
The Indian Air Force, which controls the Jammu Airport, today issued a NOTAM (notice to airmen) which will lead to the removal of the 30 per cent load penalty on the airport.
“This would mean airlines can fly full loads or at 100 per cent capacity from tomorrow, which would lead to lower fares and longer destinations,” said S K Garg, Director Airport Jammu.
Till now, there was a 30 per cent load penalty for the last six years and the airlines could book only 70 per cent of the seats available on a flight. This load restriction on Jammu Airport was placed in 2015 keeping in view of the inadequate quality and length of the runway at that time.
The load restriction meant that airlines either incur a loss on flying to Jammu or jack up fares to make up for the cost of keeping 30 per cent of seats empty.
Currently, Jammu airport handles 35 flights from different cities on a daily basis. The Jammu Airport runway was recently extended and strengthened which allowed for night landings a couple of months back.
In the wake of extension and resurfacing of the runway at Jammu Airport, Airport Authority of India (AAI) central team recently inspected the quality of runway and submitted a suitable report, following which the Indian Air Force today issued a NOTAM scrapping the load capacity, S K Garg told the Excelsior.
A NOTAM is a notice issued to airmen containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to the personnel concerned with flight operations.
Official sources elaborated that keeping in view the importance of Jammu Airport, the administration under Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha proactively took up the issue with the DGCA, Airport Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Air Force, leading to the issuance of the NOTAM today.
Also, the issue involved market dynamics as well as traveller perception about the safety of Jammu and Kashmir, sources said, adding that there has been a steady rise in passenger footfall at the Jammu Airport, particularly after the scrapping of Article 370 that led to more trade and business visits.
According to the sources, the removal of load penalty will result in the cost of operations to Jammu for an airline reducing immediately, resulting in ticket prices coming down. “On the same variable cost, they can now fly more passengers and so their cost of operations will come down,” sources explained, adding that it will also lead to further rise in passenger footfall at Jammu Airport.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, during his visit to J&K last week, had announced that two new airport terminals will be established in Jammu and Kashmir soon. He said that an airport terminal at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore shall be established on 25,000 sq mt of land in Kashmir, while another terminal costing Rs 650 crore will come up in Jammu on 22,000 sq mt of land.