AAI says 32 airports to resume operations, airlines issue travel advisories
Mumbai, May 12 (PTI): Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Monday announced that civilian flight operations will resume at 32 airports that were temporarily shut last week in view of the military standoff between India and Pakistan.
Airlines, including Air India, AirIndia Express, IndiGo and SpiceJet, issued travel advisories/ updates to their customers following the opening of the civil flight operations from these 32 airports.
In a statement on Monday, state-owned AAI said the 32 airports that were closed for civilian aircraft operations till 0529 hours of May 15 are now available for operations with immediate effect. "It is recommended for travellers to check flight status directly with Airlines and monitor airlines' websites for regular updates," the statement said.
Civilian flight operations from the 32 airports across northern and western India, including Srinagar and Amritsar, were suspended from May 9 to May 15. The AAI along with other aviation authorities had issued a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), announcing the temporary closure of 32 airports across northern and western India for all civilian flight operations.
Security measures were enhanced, and at least 32 airports in northern and western parts of the country were temporarily shut in view of the conflict between India and Pakistan. On Saturday, India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect.
Air India in a statement on Monday said, "Air India will progressively resume flights to and from Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot starting Tuesday, May 13." It also said that bookings for these sectors are now open.
Air India Express, in a statement, said it "will gradually reinstate flight operations from previously closed airports, following the lifting of NOTAMS by the authorities."
Starting Tuesday, services will resume on routes including Hindon-Bengaluru, Jammu-Delhi, Jammu-Srinagar, and Srinagar-Delhi, it added.
Operations on Hindon-Mumbai are planned to resume the day after, AirIndia Express said, adding the reinstatement of other flights, including international services from Amritsar, is expected to follow from May 15..
"Following the government directives, the recently closed airports are now available for airlines operations," IndiGo said in a statement.
The Gurugram-based airline also said it has reopened its flight bookings and resumed operations starting May 12, progressively on select routes, beginning with Delhi - Chandigarh, Delhi - Jammu - Delhi and Delhi - Amritsar - Delhi.
Over the course of the next few days, more flights will resume gradually across the network, IndiGo said.
Meanwhile, SpiceJet in a travel update said, "flight restrictions to/from Leh, Srinagar, Jammu, Dharamshala, Kandla & Amritsar have been lifted." "Flights will resume soon," the airline added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
