Kargil An-32 Services to commence on 18thJan onwards

Kargil An-32 Services to commence on 18thJan onwards

Divisional Commissionerreviews arrangements; online portal to open on 17th Jan

Leh, Jan16:An32 Kargil Courier service will commence from 18th January this year. An-32 service will be made operational in the Kargil-Jammu and Kargil-Srinagar sectors declared Divisional Commissioner Ladakh during an extensive review of the An-32 Kargil Courier service. Online bookings will commence 17th January onwards on http:heliservice.ladakh.gov.in/airforce-plane-booking.

Divisional Commissioner Saugat Biswas reviewed all the logistic arrangements for smooth operations of the service in the winter months with the Air Force, CISF, Airports Authority of India, Nodal Officers and Assistant Nodal Officers, Deputy Commissioner Kargil and offices of the Divisional Commissioners Jammu and Srinagar.

Biswas urged IAF to make the service operational on designated days of the week facilitating ease of planning by the passengers. Efforts will be made to operate two flights every week each on the Kargil-Jammu and Kargil-Srinagar sectors.

For conducting smooth ground operations instructions were passed to the District Administration Kargil to make the terminal building functional for civilian movement. Kargil police have been instructed to streamline the security and fire fighting-related services at the Kargil Airport. Adequate arrangements were also tied up for medical and transport-related support from the administrations of Kargil and the divisional administrations of Kashmir and Jammu. Every year the JK-SRTC provided transport support to the passengers of the Kargil Courier service whenever bulk transportation of passengers is required.

Biswas urged the Directors of Jammu and Srinagar airports to facilitate the logistic arrangements inside the terminal buildings, facilitation with basic facilities such as trolleys, wheelchairs for the differently-abled, security-check arrangements, and internal transport etc.

Assistance to be extended by the district administration of Udhampur for assisting passengers atUdhampurAir Force base in case of landings at Udhampur was also reviewed.

Biswas said that like last year the complete booking arrangement of the service will be online. With the introduction of the online booking system last year various reforms in the management of An-32 service came about. Passengers were enabled to book from the convenience of their homes, transactions were made online, cancellations became hassle-free and the system of confirmations became completely transparent informed Biswas, while urging all the stakeholders involved to further improve the system this year. A refresher training of all the nodal officers on the online software was conducted recently to ensure a hassle-free operation.

Deputy Commissioner Kargil; Air Officer Commanding, AFS Leh; DIG Police, Ladakh; SP Kargil; representatives of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Jammu; Airport Director, Srinagar, Airport Director Jammu, CISF Heads of Srinagar and Jammu airports, Nodal Officers and Assistant Nodal Officers and other relevant officers attended the meeting.