Srinagar, Feb 4: In the wake of major snowfall blanketing Kashmir, operations at the Srinagar International Airport have come to a standstill and about 20 flights were cancelled on Sunday.
The snowfall, which began Saturday night, continued intermittently creating challenging conditions for airport operations.
The sources in the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said that the decision to cancel all flights was made in the interest of passenger safety and to avoid any potential mishaps during adverse weather conditions.
Director Srinagar International Airport, Javed Anjum told Greater Kashmir that about 20 flights were cancelled.
“All the flights have been cancelled for the day due to bad weather,” he said, “Snowfall hampered clearance of the runway.”
Anjum said that the snowfall, which started early late Saturday night, stopped briefly early in the morning, allowing clearance of the runway.
“However, the snowfall started again before any flights could operate,” he said.
Anjum said that right now the runway was clear.
“We are hopeful that operations will resume in the morning subject to weather conditions,” he said.
The sudden closure has left passengers stranded at the airport.
As the snowfall persists, the focus remains on the timely clearance of runways and taxiways to ensure a smooth resumption of flight operations once weather conditions improve.
The Meteorological Department has predicted that the snowfall is likely to continue for the next 48 hours.
The authorities have urged residents and travellers to exercise caution and follow safety protocols during this period.
The travellers have been advised to stay updated with airline notifications and check for further updates on the status of flights from the Srinagar International Airport.