Srinagar, June 01: The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) on Monday issued a clarification regarding the baggage restrictions imposed on Haj pilgrims returning to Srinagar, stating that the measures were necessitated by runway maintenance and operational limitations at Srinagar Airport.
In a post on X, the Ministry, according to the news agency, said that a NOTAM issued for Srinagar Airport, coupled with ongoing runway maintenance work, had resulted in temporary runway length restrictions. This, it said, compelled authorities to impose payload limitations on aircraft operations in the interest of flight safety.
The Ministry stated that to avoid disruption to Haj flight schedules and minimise inconvenience to pilgrims, return Haj flights operated by Akasa Airlines for the Srinagar embarkation point have been routed via Ahmedabad.
Under the arrangement, pilgrims will be permitted to carry up to 35 kilograms of check-in baggage up to Ahmedabad. However, on the Ahmedabad–Srinagar sector, only 5 kilograms of check-in baggage per pilgrim will be allowed onboard, while the remaining 30 kilograms will be transported separately by road to Srinagar. The cabin baggage allowance will remain unchanged.
“These arrangements have been necessitated solely by airport operational constraints and aviation safety requirements,” the Ministry said, adding that the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Haj Committee of India, and J&K Haj Committee are coordinating with all stakeholders to ensure the safe and smooth return of pilgrims.
The clarification comes days after several Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir expressed concern over the reduced baggage allowance and the separate transportation of luggage from Ahmedabad to Srinagar.
Earlier, J&K Haj Committee Chief Executive Officer Dr. Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi had told that the restrictions were linked to the runway maintenance work at Srinagar Airport and the NOTAM issued for the period from April to October.
He said that while pilgrims are normally entitled to 40 kilograms of check-in baggage and 7 kilograms of hand baggage, operational constraints this year forced airlines to reduce load capacity on Srinagar-bound flights.
Dr. Qureshi also assured that the remaining luggage of pilgrims would be transported safely to Kashmir within a few days, while Zamzam water had already reached Srinagar for distribution at the airport.—(KNO)
