NEW DELHI, Jun 11: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, suggesting the opening of the strategic IAF airport at Awantipora in South Kashmir to civilian traffic in October.
The meetings come amid the scheduled closure of the Srinagar airport from October 1 to October 15. Abdullah met the two Union ministers here separately and raised concerns over the planned closure of the Srinagar airport in October for runway repairs.
It said that the Centre will explore options to avoid a total closure of the airport in October.
While around 25 to 30 flights used to operate daily, only 18 flights are currently landing at the airport. During the meetings, the chief minister highlighted the difficulties being faced by the tourism industry, which is still recuperating from the impact of last year's Pahalgam terror attack.
He told the Union ministers that hospitality and travel stakeholders have been urging him to press the Centre to reconsider the timeline as cutting off air connectivity during one of the busiest domestic tourism blocks of the year could devastate the local economy.
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