Jaipur airport to get
International status
JAIPUR: Exporters and Tourism
Industry officials have welcomed the Centre's decision to confer International
status to Jaipur airport saying this is expected to provide a major boost
to the state's tourism and export businesses. Director of Airport Authority
Arun Talwar said that Jaipur can now be offered as an international destination.
Some bilateral air traffic agreements with more countries will definitely
boost tourism sector and direct accessibility to Jaipur will be beneficial
for business relations with many countries, he said. He disagreed with
the view that Jaipur airport becoming international would lead to air traffic
congestion. The plan to extend the runway to 12,000 feet will help to accommodate
more A-320 type of aircraft at a time. Chambers of Commerce and Industry
said it will benefit exporters of gems and jewellery, handicrafts, marbles
and other commodities as direct access to Jaipur from countries like Malaysia,
Thailand and Hong Kong will save time earlier wasted in sending consignments
via Delhi and Mumbai A leading gems and jewellery exporter Ajay Kala, who
is dealing with many countries, said Jaipur Airport's international status
is going to help gems and jewellery, garments, handicrafts, marbles and
other industries and this will definitely boost the state industry. Earlier,
it took exporters of Jaipur 4 to 5 days to deliver consignments to European
countries and the US but now it would take around 24 hours, a leading marble
exporter settled in Kishangarh in Ajmer district said. Local travel agents
link conferring international status to Jaipur airport to other awaited
decisions such as converting the 14 airstrips of Rajasthan into domestic
airports. Sanjay Kaushik of Rajputana Hoilday makers said after all these
14 airstrips in Rajasthan could be converted into domestic airports and
Jaipur's international status would play a vital role. It would lure groups
interested in visiting various parts of Rajasthan in lesser time, he said.
Other travel agents said that earlier, they were dependent on the agencies
of Delhi and Agra to get tourists groups for Rajasthan "but direct air
access to Jaipur will definitely help us. |
