Srinagar-Sharjah flights: Civil Aviation Ministry allows 5 flights per week

Jammu, Apr 29: The Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved the Srinagar-Sharjah flights to the extent of 5 flights per week on a regular basis.
On April 19, Go First had said it has stopped operating Srinagar-Sharjah flight from March 27 as it does not have the requisite bilateral rights.
Airlines need bilateral rights — which are granted under air services agreement signed between the two countries — to operate scheduled international passenger flights.
Home Minister Amit Shah had inaugurated Go First’s Srinagar-Sharjah flight on October 23 last year, connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the United Arab Emirates after around 11 years.
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha expressed gratitude to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and observed that regular International flights between Srinagar & Sharjah will help in boosting trade and tourism.
The Lt Governor further noted that the UT administration, Ministry of Civil Aviation under Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Civil Aviation is taking necessary steps on priority to strengthen air connectivity to cater to the growing tourism and industry sectors.
Pertinently, the direct air link between the valley and the UAE was revived after 11 years in October last year by the Home Minister and the facility has immense potential to strengthen J&K’s ties with the Gulf region, creating market linkages and enabling direct export of J&K’s Agriculture, Horticulture & Handicraft products.
The UT administration has taken several steps to ensure that air traffic to the Union Territory- Jammu, Srinagar airports would grow unhindered in the future. Jammu airport recently achieved a milestone by recording the highest ever footfall at 1.54 lakh passengers in the month of March on 1346 flights. Similarly, more than 5,85,653 tourists have visited the Kashmir valley between January to 27th April this year, which is 5 times more than the last year’s figure of 1.26 lakh during the same period.(GNS)