MP Aujla for more flights from city airport

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 11

Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla today held a meeting with Pradeep Singh Kharola, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India, and discussed the proposals for new flights. Aujla also submitted a detailed study report about the Amritsar airport and its feasibility of new proposed flights. He demanded increased frequency of flights between Amritsar and Nanded. Presently, it is operating on Saturdays and Sundays, but considering the demand it should also be operated on Wednesday to provide pilgrims an opportunity to visit all places of religious interest, he said. Aujla also said the booking period of the flight must be extended to six-month window so that NRIs and devotees may plan well ahead of their visits.

At present, the SGRDJ airport has one terminal and is handling 23 domestic and eight international flights and the footfall of passengers is at around 16 lakh (till December 2017), he said. If the present trend is any indication, the footfall of passengers is expected to go reach the 23 lakh mark by March 2018.

“With the beginning of the Nanded flight, the demand for Kolkata and Patna has also increased as Patna is also one the holiest places of Sikhs. A large population of Sikhs living in Kolkata and Patna can make this route a profitable affair. The Jaipur and Ahmedabad flight can attract pilgrims, tourists as well as business community,” said Aujla.

He demanded that Air India’s Toronto flight should be restored as it was making a big profit. The Amritsar-Frankfurt route can also fetch good business, he said, adding that Kharola assured him of doing the needful.