Srinagar, June 2 (IANS) Due to crucial runway maintenance and repair works, the Srinagar International Airport in Jammu and Kashmir will remain closed for flight operations for 15 days beginning October 1, officials said on Tuesday.

Since the suspension of flight operations from October 1 will coincide with the Durga Puja holidays, local tourism could suffer huge losses due to the closure of the international airport.

The Valley traditionally witnesses a massive influx of tourists from West Bengal during this period, and travel operators fear the closure will lead to widespread cancellations and heavy financial losses.

According to airport officials, a phased maintenance schedule will begin ahead of the total shutdown. Starting in July, airport operations will be closed for two days (Monday and Tuesday) every week.

This will culminate in the full 15-day closure from October 1 to October 15. The runway repairs are essential for operational safety, the officials said, adding that flight restrictions have already been in place since April 6 following a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Indian Air Force.

The ongoing engineering work has already drastically shrunk the airport’s operational window, and flights currently operate only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., a significant reduction from the previous schedule of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

With the October closure looming, hospitality and travel stakeholders are urging authorities to reconsider the timeline, saying that cutting off air connectivity during one of the busiest domestic tourism seasons of the year could devastate the local economy.

The Srinagar International Airport carries an average passenger traffic load of nearly 4,000 per day.

The majority of tourist arrivals presently take place through flight operations and through the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Although train services are presently operational from the rest of the country to Jammu railway station and from Jammu railway station to the Valley, tourists are still not taking the railways to reach the Valley and prefer the air route.

–IANS