AI express stops maiden international flight

Dubai flight results in huge loss to travel agents

BILAL HUSSAIN

A Valley based travel organization, Travel Agents' Association of Kashmir (TAAK), on Sunday claimed that the travel agents here have suffered huge losses due to discontinuation of the Srinagar-Dubai air services.
The President TAAK, Rauf Tramboo, told Kashmir Times that it is almost forth month that the Air India express has stopped their service to Dubai. “We were expecting it to be a temporary nature. However, the AI express seems to in no mood to restore the services.”
He reiterated his associations demand for restoration of maiden Srinagar-Dubai flight and said, “They snatched the much hyped services without any notices.”
According to TAAK the Srinagar-Dubai air services would have catered the Middle East sector, and it could have proved a boom for tourism as there is no advisory. “There are many big corporate clients that have shown interest in visiting to the valley,” Rauf added.
The discontinuation of air services has brought discredit not only to the TAAK members but to their counter parts in the Dubai as well. “They have already published the brochures for the Srinagar-Dubai services and have circulated it amongst their clientele,” he laments.
Over here, the TAAK members too had started worked on the project, Srinagar-Dubai services, to sell Kashmir and Ladakh tour packages. “We are receiving lots of queries on the services. We are in a fix, what to tell them. At times it is an embracement for us,” he says.
On the other side, the Air India express had said that they are suffering huge loss in continuation of the services. However, the TAAK members don’t seem to subscribe to the argument. “Every business has a gestation period so is true about Srinagar-Dubai air services. They might incur some losses at this time but it is going to be the most profitable venture for the airlines,” he claims.
Another tour operator said that AI express should have intimated the tour operator about the stopping of the service. “They had assured us to restore it soon but have not done so,” he added.
Earlier president, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nazir A. Dar had met V.P.Agrawal, Chairman, Airports Authority of India recently at Delhi. President discussed about the discontinuing of the flight from Srinagar -Dubai to which the Chairman has said, “On our part there is no difficulty in continuing the flight and the issue be taken up with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.”
TAAK members said that they were expecting by now flights to Singapore and Malaysia.