With life in Kashmir coming to a standstill because of the floods and most road and rail connections affected, domestic airlines like Spicejet, Air India and IndiGo have swung into action to support rescue operations organised by the defence forces and government. Airlines have together lifted 114 tonnes of relief material such as medicines and food, sharply cut fares and transported over 35,000 people out of the affected region till date.
The floods, that started earlier this month and is now receding, has claimed over 270 lives so far and led to a loss of almost Rs 6,000 crore for the state’s key tourism industry, as per Assocham estimates.
Kalanithi Maran-promoted Spicejet said that it has transported about 40 tonnes of material like toiletry kits, blankets, clothes, drinking water, food items, medicines and baby food. Spot fares have also been cut to destinations like Delhi (Rs 2,803, from about Rs 6,000 in normal times), Mumbai (Rs 4,848). It has also employed its own housekeeping staff to make sure airport facilities like toilets are kept clean.
?Each day, a SpiceJet senior management member is commissioned to go to Srinagar to oversee and assist the relief work. The COO Sanjiv Kapoor recently visited Srinagar in order to boost the morale of the staff. Initially, we could not locate all our employees, but since Friday that problem is sorted,? a company spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, IndiGo said that almost 2,000 passenger have been flown out free of cost under its IndiGoReach programme, while it has carried and delivered 137 tonnes of relief material (includes telecommunication equipment for Vodafone).
?The Air Force too air dropped the relief material made especially by IndiGo ? 11,000 food foils (cheese, buns and water) and 1000 basic medicine kits. IndiGoReach team is going out to the city in Srinagar to give food, blankets medicines, essential clothes like track suits, footwear, paediatric medicines,? the company said.
Flag carrier Air India has stationed two aircraft for lifting the passengers and patients free of cost and transported relief material, while the Airports Authority of India, which runs the Srinagar airports, has made landing & parking facilities free for airlines.
