The Union Cabinet has today given its approval to the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to give international status to the domestic airport at Srinagar.

The declaration of the Srinagar domestic airport as International airport will offer improved connectivity and wider choice of services at competitive cost to the air travelers resulting in boost of to international tourism and economic development of the region.

Existing terminal building and apron are also being extended and other facilities being made available to accommodate wider aircrafts and more passengers.

The Srinagar airport belongs to the Indian Air Force (Ministry of Defence), where Airports Authority of India (AAI) maintains a Civil Enclave, for operations of civil flights. At present, International Haj flights also operate from this airport.  The terminal building is equipped with all modern passenger amenities. The Building was further modified to facilitate operation of limited International Haj flights since February 1998. Communication/ Navigational aids are available there. Extension and upgradation of facilities of the Srinagar Airport have been taken up at a cost of Rs. 59.50 crore.

Declaration of an airport as an international airport depends inter-alia upon traffic potential and demand from airlines for operation of international flights. The following facilities at a domestic airport are considered necessary, for declaring it as an ‘International Airport’.

            ·        International sector traffic potential;

            ·        Demand from airlines to operate on international sectors;

      ·       Availability of Customs, immigration, health and plant quarantine facilities;

            ·        Cargo shed;

      ·        Adequate size of terminal building to handle international and transit passengers;

      ·        Precision approach runway and associated facilities such as night landing facility, instrument approach landing system, navigational aids like DVOR etc. and

     ·       Bilateral agreement with the country where international operations  are planned.

MC/GK