Aujla takes up Amritsar airport issue with P Raju

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 28

Member of Parliament from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla today met Union Minister for Civil Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and handed over a memorandum regarding Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.

He also discussed the issues of the airport with the Civil Aviation Minister in detail.

P Ashok Gajapathi Raju assured the MP that he would make sure that the Amritsar airport got a good share of flights and facilities.

Aujla said, “I told the minister that the Amritsar airport has been neglected since long. Amritsar is an important city and situated on the international border. It is also a transit point between India and Pakistan, which brings diversity in the culture, tourism and trade.”

The Amritsar airport was knows as a hub of direct connectivity to Singapore (Singapore Airlines), London (Air India and Jet Airways), Birmingham (Air India), Moscow and Abu Dhabi (Air India). Now all these flights have been either shifted to Delhi or Ahmadabad.

He said the Amritsar airport had a few international flights, which did not serve the purpose of being an international airport.

“Amritsar had a potential and deserves more international flights to London, Birmingham, Toronto, Vancouver, Frankfurt, Moscow, Vienna and Rome-Milan. These flights will not only help in recovering Airport’s loss, but also help the local business to flourish,” Aujla added.

He said the more than 100 flights take off or land at the Lahore airport, which is also a border city and the airport was making profits, so the Amritsar airport should not be considered as a border airport.