3 Indian airports may end international flight services from December 2021

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International flights to and fro India (Image: Pixabay)
International flights to and fro India (Image: Pixabay)

New Delhi : Military-owned airports in India such as those in Srinagar, Pune and Goa are likely to end the international flight services from December 2021 onwards, said a report published in the Economic Times.

While the Pune airport is a part of the Indian Air Force’s Lohegaon airbase, Goa’s Dabolim Airport is operated as a civil enclave in an Indian Navy naval airbase named INS Hansa. Srinagar’s Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport is also a military airbase owned by the Indian Air Force.

The official confirmation on the report is awaited. But it has been mentioned that the global rules require these to be licensed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to continue international flights. And the military on the contrary has always been against the decision.

“The deadline is not sacrosanct, as it may be extended further but licensing of these airports needs to happen,” the portal quoted a senior official as saying.

Contrary to reports, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had last month said that international flight operations are likely to resume at the Srinagar airport as efforts are on to start services to Sharjah. He had also said that the terminal at the Srinagar airport will be expanded from 25,000 square metre to 63,000 square metre.

“The first international flight connection from Srinagar to Sharjah (in the United Arad Emirates) will be started soon. Efforts are on so that international travellers come directly to Srinagar. This will be a historic decision, not just for Jammu and Kashmir, but the whole country,” Scindia had told reporters.