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Jet links Amritsar to London

Staff Correspondent

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh flags off the maiden flight

Photo: PTI

READY FOR TAKE OFF: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Chief Operating Officer of Jet Airways Dale Moss at the flagging off ceremony in Amritsar on Friday.

CHANDIGARH: With the formal take off by a Jet Airways plane from the Guru Ram Dass International Airport to Heathrow in London, the "Holy City"

Amritsar now has 82 weekly flights connecting to various international destinations.

According to an official statement here on Friday, amid fanfare and enthusiasm, Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh flagged off the flight which shall be non-stop to London and would operate three times every week.

Addressing a select gathering at Amritsar after the inauguration of the operations, Capt. Singh said that the initiative on the part of Jet Airways would prove to be a step in the right direction to promote religious, heritage and medical tourism in the state. He said that the Punjabi diaspora across the globe would be immensely benefited from this direct flight.

Capt. Singh said that the new terminal building at the Amritsar airport with almost double the existing capacity was ready to cater to the operations of various domestic as well as international airlines. He reiterated that the state government was committed to provide all basic infrastructure and support to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to develop this airport at par with international standards.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that the Union Government had already approved the project for setting up of a green field airport at Halwara near Ludhiana, which had an existing cargo facility in place. The Ministry of Civil Aviation would direct the Airport Authority of India to undertake the construction work of the new airport shortly to be completed within a stipulated time frame.

Referring to the untapped potential of heritage tourism in the state, Capt. Singh said that the state government was contemplating to develop some religious tourism circuits. He said that 21 historical villages and another 15 important sites had been earmarked for heritage tourism.

The Chief Minister reminded that Union Tourism Minister, Ambika Soni who recently visited Amritsar in connection with the inauguration of couple of tourism projects assured the state government to develop Punjab as a future destination of heritage and ethnic tourism.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of Jet Airways, Y.R. Sadri elaborated on the further plans of the airlines to start more direct international flights from Amritsar and Chandigarh. He also announced that Jet Airways would soon launch Amritsar-Chandigarh domestic flight in the morning and another direct flight from Chandigarh to Mumbai.

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