SRINAGAR: Ruling Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti today expressed dismay over disruption of air traffic at Srinagar airport due to poor visibility and demanded immediate installation of advanced Instrumentation Landing System (ILS) to ensure uninterrupted flight operations even during minimum visibility.
Flight operation at the airport has been suspended here for the last two days due to the fog, with hundreds of passengers, including tourists stranded here.
“Despite having been declared an international airport almost a decade back, the technical facilities at Srinagar aerodrome continue to be outdated impeding the air traffic to and from Kashmir, especially during the winters.
“The technical facilities including ILS needs to be upgraded immediately at the aerodrome to avoid any inconvenience to the passengers,” Mehbooba, also a Member of Parliament from south Kashmir’s Anantnag, said here.
As the traffic movement on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and Mughal Road – an alternate road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country – remains affected during bad weather conditions, the air traffic is the only mode available to the people to travel in and out of Kashmir.
“However, for the past few years we are witnessing frequent flight disruptions at the Srinagar Airport due to poor visibility although more than 30 flights are normally operating daily from there,” she said.
The PDP president said she would also take up the matter with the Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Defence Ministry so that advanced ILS is put in place at the airport at the earliest.
Air traffic to and fro Srinagar was affected for the third consecutive day today due to bad weather. (PTI)
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