ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ARCHIVES

Amritsar airport to go 'international' without flights

A Special Correspondent

Then prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral promised to give Amritsar an international airport. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is all set to inaugurate the Amritsar international airport, on April 27.

But the dreams of Punjabis are far from coming true. For, the airport is about to gain the dubious distinction of being an international airport without any overseas flights.

The national carriers -- Air-India and Indian Airlines -- have been stalling efforts to put the Sikhs's holy city on the international air travel map. So also the other international airlines.

Sensing their mood, a face-saving formula had been worked out involving Indian Airlines's subsidiary Alliance Air. The latter has been asked to fly a link flight from Amritsar to Delhi, to enable Punjabis to check in for Air-India's Delhi-Manchester at Amritsar.

The move will eat into Indian Airlines's revenue as it runs another link flight for foreign-bound residents of Amritsar.

Tell us what you think of this report