AVM protests diversion of flights from int’l airport

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 15

Members of the Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) staged a protest alleging discrimination with Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport by the Civil Aviation Ministry here today. The protest was organised at Bhandari Bridge.

The protesters said the ministry was hell bent on diverting international flights from local airport to other airports in the country. They alleged that the ministry was also not allowing other airlines to start international flights from the Amritsar airport.

Daljit Singh Kohli of the Amritsar Vikas Manch said international flights between Amritsar-Birmingham, Amritsar-Toronto and Amritsar-San Francisco were running successfully from the city airport, but these were shifted to Delhi in 2008.

He said, “Now efforts are being made to shift the proposed Amritsar-Singapore flight to Chandigarh airport.”

“We will not allow such designs of the ministry to succeed as the indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned has already harmed interests of the Amritsar airport,” he added.

Members of Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Mission Aagaaz, Voice of Amritsar, Lok Kalyan Samiti, Anti-Terrorist Front, Global Institute for Disabled Children and the Pollution Control Committee also participated in the protest.