Kargil put on country's air map

steven_ber

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2003 09:43:23 PM ]

NEW DELHI: Kargil, which is under constant threat from Pakistani artillery and anti-aircraft guns since it is quite near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, is finally on the country's air map now.



As part of its endeavour to integrate far-flung areas, the Indian Air Force has started flights for civilian passengers from Kargil to Srinagar. An AN-32 transport aircraft of the IAF made the inaugural run from Kargil to Srinagar on Friday with 18 civilian passengers.



Describing the flight as part of the Union and state government's commitment to the people of the region, IAF spokesperson Squadron Leader R K Dhingra said Kargil would be airlinked to Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar on a regular basis now.



At present, the civilian passengers are being charged subsidised fares of Rs 600 and Rs 800 for the Kargil-Srinagar and the Kargil-Jammu routes, respectively. "The final fares are yet to be worked out. The frequency of flights will depend on feasibility and overall requirements," said an official.



The Kargil airport is manned by IAF personnel because of its proximity to the border, with some of key heights around the take-off and landing flight paths being in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "The place comes under frequent firing and the airfield has been developed keeping this in mind," said the official.



The inaugural flight of the AN-32, which landed at Kargil from Chandigarh around 11.40 a.m. on Friday before again taking off for Srinagar, was witnessed by around 500 people, including many from the nearby town.