‘Airport loses revenue in absence of trade pact’

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 17

Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport has been incurring losses as many airlines, especially international, are blocked from flying to the city for not having bilateral air agreements, said Sameep Singh, overseas secretary, Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM).

He said the airport had been incurring an annual loss of Rs 50 crore as airlines of many countries were not authorised for flying to Amritsar in the absence of bilateral air agreements. He claimed that six airports in the country were included in the bilateral agreement for almost all the countries. He said the government wanted to make Delhi, Mumbai, Bangaluru big airports, which are managed by private companies. “They are doing so by causing losses to its own airports,” he pointed out.

“Popularity of the holy city can be gauged from the fact that the government has open sky policy regarding few tier-2 airports for ASEAN countries, according to which airlines of these countries can start unlimited flights to Amritsar and other airports,” he said.

He said if the government do the same for the UAE, Oman, Turkey, Germany and other European countries, Amritsar will get all the big carriers.