Srinagar: To ensure that the Srinagar bound Hajj flights arrive early in the day, the Air India (AI) has redrawn its flight schedule from Monday. This follows the intervention of the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti in the matter and the strong note she took over the delay caused in the landing of first Hajj flight at Srinagar Airport and the consequent inconvenience caused to the Hajjies.
The Chief Minister, it may be recalled, had on September 07 asked the Chief Secretary to take up the matter with the authorities of Civil Aviation at the Centre and ask the airline authorities and Air Traffic Control to ensure that the same is not repeated.
As per the schedule communicated by the Air India, the flights from Saudi Arabia to Srinagar would be rescheduled from Monday to arrive here early in the afternoon at 1.55 PM and 03.15 PM daily except for the two flights on September 13 and 14 which would be landing at 10 AM in the morning.
The Chief Minister had also directed the State administration to ensure that in no case shall the flights carrying Hajjies back home be made to wait for landing or put to any inconvenience. The flights, as per the revised schedule by Air India, would now be directly arriving to Srinagar early afternoon rather than getting diverted via Delhi.
Meanwhile, the J&K Resident Commission at New Delhi, on the instructions of the Chief Minister, has set up a team comprising SP-CID Cell, New Delhi and Protocol Officers to monitor the Hajj flights from Saudi Arabia to Srinagar daily so that the arrangements to be made in case of any eventuality are put in place well in advance.
Meanwhile, the two flights of Hajj pilgrims Monday arrived here early afternoon as per the revised schedule.
