Amritsar-Birmingham and Amritsar-Nanded flights increased – Gurjeet Aujla

Amritsar, April 22 (Punjab Post Bureau) – Member of Parliament for Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla releasing a press release informed that with the blessings of Guru Ramdas Ji, he was able to fulfill one more of his promises. Air India flight AI 117/AI 118 Amritsar – Birmingham – Amritsar is increasing days of operation to 3 days a week i.e on Saturdays from 5th of May 2018, the booking of which has begun. Similarly Air India flight AI 815/AI 816) Amritsar-Nanded-Amritsar has also increased the flight operations to 3 days i.e on Wednesdays each week. Aujla said that he is thankful to Ministry of Civil Aviations, Capt. Amarinder Singh, Air India, Airport Authority, Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik for endorsing the demand he has made in this regard. He said that this increase has also confirmed that SGRDJI International Airport has got the potential to accommodate increase in flights and this profitable environment is sure to bring in more business for the city. 

                      Aujla further added that he is now pursuing the matter with Ministry of External Affairs and PMO for adding Amritsar as a point of call amending the bilateral air services agreements with other nations. Amritsar is not a designated point of call in the bilateral air services agreement with many countries, so their carriers are not getting permission to fly to Amritsar. Furthermore, Jet Airways which has commercial interline partnership with Etihad airlines and KLM does not operate a direct flight to Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam from Amritsar. If Amritsar airport is designated as a point of call by Ministry of External affairs, then flights will not only take flyers to Dubai, Germany, Amsterdam, Muscat or Istanbul, but it would also connect them further to Europe, the US and Canada, which have a large Punjabi population. Fly Dubai has expressed its willingness to start Dubai-Amritsar flight that will also connect Amritsar to more than 100 destinations on its partner Emirates but old bilateral and seat sharing agreements are not allowing them to do so. Similarly, Emirates also listed Amritsar as its future destination that will also benefit the economy of Punjab. It is to be noted that almost every airline of the world is allowed to operate flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata airports. Now Ahmedabad airport is also being added to the list. But there are some cities, including Amritsar which generate far more international passenger load for passenger traffic via Delhi, Mumbai are not allowed as a point of call to foreign carriers. Aujla informed that he shall be meeting with PM Narendra Modi in this regard to press for his demands.