Kargil/Jammu, Feb 22: A total of 275 passengers were airlifted between the twin Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Wednesday, an official spokesman said.
Due to the closure of the Srinagar-Leh national highway and bad weather for the past few days, the stranded passengers of Kargil at Jammu and Srinagar were unable to utilise the services of AN-32 Kargil Courier, he said.
On the recommendations of the Civil Aviation Department Ladakh, the spokesman said, the Indian Air Force (IAF) provided the facility of IL-76 aircraft which transported 193 passengers from Jammu to Leh, while 57 passengers were airlifted in two sorties of AN-32 between Srinagar and Kargil.
Ten passengers were airlifted from Kargil to Jammu in one sortie of AN-32 and 15 more passengers between Kargil and Srinagar in B-3 helicopter, he said.
The spokesman said the passengers were assisted at the airports by liaison officers and assistant liaison officers deputed at the respective locations of Jammu, Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.
The passengers expressed their gratitude to the IAF, divisional administration and civil aviation department Ladakh and district administration Kargil for facilitation of the airlift, he said.–(PTI)
