Permission for Saudi airline Haj flights from IHK sought

ISLAMABAD: The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry has approached the Home Ministry to allow a Saudi-Arabian airline to fly Hajis from Indian occupied Kashmir.

A Civil Aviation Ministry official said: "We have requested the Indian Home Ministry to give permission to the Saudi airliner, NAS Air,to carry pilgrims from Srinagar to Delhi," Kashmir Media Service reported.

If permission granted, the airline will fly 8,000 pilgrims from the occupied territory to Delhi and then to Jeddah. Its crew, however, will not be allowed to disembark at the Srinagar airport.

At present, foreign airlines are not allowed to operate from the Indian Air Force-run Srinagar Airport.