Night-Time Work Can Prevent Disruption to Tourism, Says Altaf Bukhari on Srinagar Airport Upgrade
Srinagar, KNT: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has urged the authorities to explore alternative arrangements for the ongoing runway maintenance and developmental works at Srinagar International Airport, saying that prolonged restrictions on flight operations could adversely affect the tourism sector.
Referring to reports that airport operations are being curtailed after specific hours due to runway repair and recarpeting works, and that a complete shutdown of flight operations is planned during a period in October, Bukhari said authorities should consider carrying out construction and maintenance work during night hours to minimize inconvenience to passengers and stakeholders.
“We are living in an era of technology and modern infrastructure. Developmental work can be undertaken during the night as well. There is a need to find alternatives that do not adversely affect tourism and air connectivity,” Bukhari said.
He expressed concern that restricting flight operations during the day and the proposed closure in October could create difficulties for tourists, travel operators, businesses and local stakeholders dependent on the aviation sector.
Bukhari said Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism industry has witnessed encouraging growth and every effort should be made to ensure that ongoing infrastructure projects do not negatively impact visitor arrivals and travel plans.
While welcoming modernization and improvement of airport infrastructure, he stressed that authorities should adopt a balanced approach that allows developmental work to proceed without causing avoidable disruption to air traffic and tourism-related activities.
The Apni Party leader urged the Airport Authority of India and other concerned agencies to examine the feasibility of round-the-clock work schedules, including night-time operations, so that the project is completed efficiently while minimizing inconvenience to the travelling public. [KNT]
