On the one hand there being tremendous potential for civil aviation in Jammu and Kashmir , on the other there are not sufficient facilities and the requisite infrastructure which could give it a supporting push to take off significantly. Not only the footfall of tourists prefer to fly to save time to be utilised on sightseeing and visiting spots of interest and even staying there for a few days but even employees from the public as well as private sector including Government Departments mostly being eligible to avail of travel facility by air make it all the more necessary that there should be more flights to and fro Srinagar and Jammu Airports. Visitors from abroad preferring to fly straight between the two ends too make it quite necessary that there should be airports with all the landing and take-off facilities coupled with state -of -the art terminal buildings with all modern facilities, provisions and amenities for the passengers.
It is also a fact that both the Airports at Srinagar and Jammu have been developed from time to time, mainly in respect of increasing the space and length of the runway, particularly in respect of Srinagar Airport which is capable of handling wide body aircraft like Boeing 747 and Airbus A 380 as it has an integrated terminal and one runway supposed to be the longest in the region. Haj flights otherwise do operate from Srinagar Airport. However, Jammu needs an upgraded Airport for which the need has been felt for long. While a direct flight from Srinagar Airport to Sharjah is slated to take place soon, innovative decision loaded with ensuring generating of economic activities to a considerable extent, construction of two new airports each at Srinagar and Jammu at a total cost of Rs. 2150 was going to change the face of civil aviation in the Union Territory. The Union Minister for Civil Aviation recently making it known to be given a practical shape in the very near future, had in its container associated benefits to boost development and generate employment opportunities.
A 25000 square meters and a 22000 square metre of space where new airports are decided to be established at Srinagar and Jammu airports respectively was going to provide sufficient landing and take off facilities to domestic and international flights and which while constructing, was going to provide direct and indirect employment to hundreds of people besides promoting tourism which is the backbone of the economy of Jammu and Kashmir , also trade and commerce via cargo facilities offered by too many flights expected to take place with construction of these two airports. It is commendable and fulfilling a long requirement that adjacent to the existing airport at Jammu , a new airport terminal was going to be built for which land having been identified must expeditiously be handed over to the Airports Authority of India.
Connectivity, fast, comfortable and hassles free, with better and convenient choices for passengers and travelling public between air, rail and road is necessary for overall development of Jammu and Kashmir and a few major projects towards that end being underway, the decision to add two new airports to the existing ones would bring about perceptible overall improvement in the existing infrastructure. Air connectivity in an enhanced way especially during inclement weather, when the National Highway gets blocked for days together due to heavy snowfalls or torrential rains, becomes increasingly imperative.
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