‘Passenger count dips, hopes high for winter tourism; have ample infrastructure to handle int’l flights’
Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Nov 21 (KNO): Director, Srinagar International Airport, Javid Anjum, on Friday said the flight cancellations due to weather are ‘unlikely this winter’ as the airport has been equipped with an upgraded Instrument Landing System (ILS) Category-II.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Director said the upgraded system ensures safer and more reliable landings even under low-visibility conditions.
Anjuman said that Srinagar usually records around 1,000 metres of visibility during winters, which allows for comfortable landings. “Earlier, the threshold was 1,200 meters, but now the system is much improved. This year, we expect no flight cancellations,” he said, adding that the upgraded ILS now allows landings with visibility as low as 400 metres.
The Director said the ILS upgrade was already functional last year and that no cancellations occurred due to weather conditions, marking a major improvement in airport reliability during foggy and snowy months.
Highlighting enhanced passenger facilities, he said, “We have improved the heating system, added more seating and also introduced free Wi-Fi for passengers. The airport has also seen the addition of 22 new retail shops and nine food & beverage outlets, with three more expected to open soon.”
On flight operations, Anjum said the number of daily flights has dropped mainly due to lower passenger turnout, not operational constraints. “We had around 54 flights per day before the Pahalgam episode, but now we are operating about 30. Passenger traffic has declined from around 19,500 daily to 8,000–10,000, though we expect a rise with the onset of winter tourism,” he said.
Regarding international operations, the Director said the airport has “ample infrastructure” to handle international flights and that a formal request has already been made to the ministry. “We are ready, and it now depends on the airlines to come forward,” he added—(KNO)
