Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Thursday (August 1) announced that the government is making concerted efforts to launch civilian flight services to Kargil, but only 19-seater aircraft can currently operate at the airport.
Due to the runway conditions, terrain challenges, and landing protocols at the existing Kargil airport, only small aircraft are feasible.
UDAN flight to Kargil soon
The minister informed the Lok Sabha that efforts are underway to introduce civilian flights to Kargil under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, which aims to improve regional air connectivity.
An allocation of Rs 9.2 crore has been approved for the airport, with some electrical work already completed.
“We are making all efforts to start civilian flights to Kargil… if some airlines say they are ready to provide connectivity from Kargil to Srinagar or Jammu, then we are ready to do the remaining work and provide for the civilian services,” the minister said during the Question Hour.
He also informed that efforts to initiate these services will continue as quickly as possible.
ICAO study deems large aircraft unviable for Kargil
In 2021, a multi-disciplinary team from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Indian Air Force, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) assessed various sites in Ladakh—Wakha Kargil, Turtuk, Diskit, Nyoma, and Padum/Zanskar—for potential airport construction.
“However, none of the sites were found suitable for airport construction,” Naidu said.
Additionally, at the request of the Ladakh Administration, AAI consulted the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to evaluate the feasibility of operating larger aircraft such as Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s at Kargil.
“ICAO’s study observed that operation of such aircrafts is not feasible in the existing airstrip,” he noted.