Srinagar, Apr 28: In a major development, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved private airlines Go Air to operate five international flights a week between Srinagar-Sharjah, an official said.

According to a top official, “the Go Air’s international flights shall start operationalized between Srinagar- Sharjah in the first week of next month and for that some necessary procedures are being completed.”

According to a communiqué by the Ministry of Civil Aviation government of India, it has allocated M/s Go Air India Ltd the traffic rights to operate on Srinagar-Sharjah route- reg.

The development has come after the Go First airline earlier had stopped operating Srinagar-Sharjah flight from March 27 as it had not the requisite bilateral rights.

Notably the flight operations between Srinagar- Sharjah were operating under air bubble arrangement that was in place till March 26, 2022 after which all air bubble arrangements were cancelled when India resumed scheduled international passenger flights on March 27, 2022.

Scheduled international passenger flights operate under bilateral air services agreement which is signed between the two countries, however in absence of requisite bilateral rights for operating scheduled flights, Go First airlines stopped operating Srinagar-Sharjah-Srinagar flight from March 27.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had inaugurated Go First's Srinagar-Sharjah flight on October 23 last year, connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the United Arab Emirates after around 11 years.

Apex trade body Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) president Sheikh Ashiq while speaking to Rising Kashmir said that it is a welcome step and much awaited one as KCC&I had been pursuing it for a long time now.

 “With this move the Srinagar International Airport will get more global presence and will attract more visitors which will ultimately have a positive impact on trade and business,” Ashiq said.