Going Abroad - Kashmir

Custom Search Kashmir has finally gone international. On Feb 14 Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the new Srinagar International Airport, and flagged off the first international flight, an Air India Express flight to Dubai, from the terminal. The new terminal, which spreads over 19,700 square meters, has all the features one would expect of the modem terminal – aero bridges, central heating, escalators and a 12,000 ft runway capable of handling most large aircraft.

An Instrument landing system (ILS), which will allow aircraft to land in low visibility, will soon be installed. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft used for the inaugural flight was decked up for this important occasion – a colorful painting of a shikara on the Dal lake on one side of the tail and an image of the Thar desert on the other. The flight to Dubai will initially be once a week, and a one-way ticket will cost Rs 7,035(including taxes). The flight will of course, save people traveling out of the valley the hassle of transiting through Delhi, but the hope is that this and more flights to come will bring many more international tourists to Kashmir