Mir Baseerat

 

Srinagar, April 26:The flights at Srinagar airport are operating on normal schedule despite Valley witnessing a drastic dip in the tourist arrivals due to intensified second Covid19 wave. 

Director Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport Srinagar Santosh Dhoke said the flights are operating with a normal schedule and there has been no change in it due to the spike in Covid-19 cases.

“Forty five flights are operating at Srinagar Airport on a daily basis. So far no flight was canceled,” said Dhoke.

As per travel and hospitality sector there has been around 90 percent dip in tourist arrivals.

Dhoke said there has been a dip in the arrival of passengers coming to the valley but airlines continued the services uninterrupted.

“If any airline is getting low footfall of passengers then the airline can cancel the flights,” said Dhoke.

He said airport authorities are fully geared up for the current pandemic as testing is done at airports on arrivals and no traveller is allowed without masks.

The arriving passengers are tested for Covid-19 and fines are being imposed to people without face masks.

PRO at Go Air Srinagar said that due to the spike in cases the airlines and the airports are witnessing less number of passengers.

“Cases are on rise and the demand of passengers is also less,” he said.

He said, “We sometimes cancel flights for commercial reasons because operation of flights with less occupancy incurs huge losses.”