NGO knocks at High Court doors

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 15

The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), a city-based NGO, has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court to impress upon the Union and state governments on resumption of international flights.

The AVM president, Kulwant Singh Ankhi, stated that the High Court (HC) on Monday put the Centre and Punjab government on notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking resumption of non-stop international Air India flights from Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport to London, Birmingham, Milan, Vancouver, Toronto, besides other destinations.

He said the HC Bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice Darshan Singh also put Air India and Jet Airways on notice. The petition was filed by the AVM through its president Ankhi.

It was argued that stopping of direct international flights from the airport was causing inconvenience, mental and physical harassment to the public at large and also financial loss to the government exchequer.

The direction has also been sought for Jet Airways, to start non-stop flights to Abu Dhabi and other countries from Amritsar, besides telling Centre to contact international airlines including Turkish Airways, Air Asia Malaysia, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Oman Air and Saudi Airlines, to know whether they were willing to start direct flights from Amritsar.

The petitioner has also sought directions to declare ‘Hub and Spoke Policy’ of Air India null and void. Under the facility, international passengers are required to clear immigration and security at the boarding airport, but no check is done at the last point of exit.

Direct international flights from Amritsar to Kabul were started in 1960. Air India started direct flights from Amritsar to Birmingham with a stop at Moscow in 1982.

In 2010, Air India and other private airlines either cancelled or diverted many international flights from Amritsar airport via Delhi to benefit the newly-constructed airport at the Capital, alleged the petitioner.

He further claimed that Air India also announced a policy that all its international flights would depart only from Delhi and Mumbai airports and passengers from all over India would be connected via these two airports using ‘Hub and Spoke Flights’.

After privatisation of the Delhi international airport and diversion of flights from Amritsar, footfall of international passengers fell drastically from 80 per cent to 30 per cent at the Amritsar airport. “It shows the great injustice being done with Amritsar airport,” the petitioner had argued.

“The court has also been requested to issue directions to equip the airport with infrastructure facilities such as food court, business class lounges, parking and functioning of all aero-bridges,” he said.