Jammu airport to shut in October for resurfacing

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 17

The Jammu airport will remain closed for 15 days in October as the Indian Air Force (IAF) proposes to resurface the runway.

Though the exact period of resurfacing of the runway is yet to be finalised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in consultation with all stakeholders, all commercial flights will remain suspended during that period.

According to sources, the resurfacing work would be done in two phases, first in October, which will take approximately 15 days, and second after a gap of five to six months.

The sources also informed that the IAF would have to make alternative arrangements in case of VVIP visits in Jammu during the period of resurfacing of the runway.

The AAI, Jammu, had started the expansion of runway up to 8,000 feet from the existing 6,700 feet in July last year. Its deadline was set as March 2020.

The Jammu airport has about 20 flights per day for Delhi, Srinagar, Mumbai, Bathinda, Lucknow and some other cities. These cater to travellers, tourists, pilgrims and security personnel.

The demand for flights to Jammu and Srinagar has been high for the last more than a year, as regular landslides on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and four-laning work have made it difficult for travellers to visit the Kashmir valley. During winters, air connectivity is the only option for the Ladakh region.