IAF withdraws notice to airmen closing runway for heavy planes

NEW DELHI: Passengers for Jammu stranded at various airports across the country will soon be able to fly as the Indian Air Force ( IAF) has withdrawn notice to airmen (Notam) closing the runway for heavy planes like Boeing 737 and Airbus A-320.

Thousands of passengers supposed to fly to and from Jammu on Friday were stranded in the temple town and airports across the country with the Indian Air Force (IAF) suddenly deciding to close the runway for heavy planes like Boeing 737 and Airbus A-320 no private airline took off or landed in Jammu on Friday -- a day after the festival of Navratre ended and scores of Mata Vaishno Devi devotees were to fly in and out of Jammu.

Jammu handles 16 domestic arrivals and departures daily. On Friday, only three Air India flights operated there. No private airliner was allowed to operate to and from Jammu on Friday.

The IAF, which controls ATC at some defence airports like Jammu, issued the (Notam advising airlines not to fly big planes to Jammu reportedly after examining the runway and finding it weak.