Civil aviation ministry announces projects worth ₹2,361 crore for Jammu and Kashmir
Union minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said civil aviation ministry is coming up with a civil enclave airport at Jammu worth ₹861 crore and expansion of the terminal building at Srinagar Airport in Kashmir at a cost of ₹1,500 crore
The civil aviation ministry is coming up with a civil enclave airport at Jammu worth ₹861 crore and expansion of the terminal building at Srinagar Airport in Kashmir at a cost of ₹1,500 crore, Union minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia was quoted by Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday.
Scindia was speaking at the 4th edition of Heli-India Summit at SKICC in Srinagar which was also addressed by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The summit themed ‘Helicopters for Last Mile Connectivity’ brought together various stakeholders of the helicopter industry and provided a common platform to discuss the growth of the industry, issues, challenges, and solutions for the future, J&K government’s information department said in a statement.
Scindia termed the summit a historic moment for J&K. “A new beginning has been made in the expansion of helicopter services,” he was quoted as saying.
Work has been started for implementing ‘Heli Policy’ and use of helicopters in emergency medical services, he added.
“Various scenic destinations in Jammu and Kashmir witness year-round tourist influx, which has the potential to boost heli-tourism market in the UT. We are committed to facilitating and helping in the growth of heli operations. I invite industry captains to be partners in this transformational journey,” he said.
The LG said that in a short span of time, 65 airports, eight heliports and two water aerodromes were made operational in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
He said that decisions like reduction of VAT on ATF from 26.5% to 1% and abolishing the load penalty at Jammu airport has revived J&K’s ivil aviation sector. “Today, Srinagar airport is setting a new record in terms of number of flights per day. Within a year, from 20-25 daily flights, today 80 to 100 flights are operating at Srinagar airport,” Sinha said.
After the decision to abolish load penalty at Jammu airport, the number of flights has increased, the citizens of Jammu division have got better and economical facilities to travel to Delhi and other parts of the country, and the business sector has also gained new dynamism, he further added.