Jammu airport waiting for 'catastrophe': Union min

Union Minister of State, Civil Aviation, Mahesh Sharma, today cautioned that the Jammu airport was waiting for a "catastrophe" due to the size of its airstrip which was far less than the set standard.
"The only domestic airport in Jammu region is waiting for a catastrophe to take place," Sharma said at a function here.
"The standard size of the airstrip is 9,000 feet while in Jammu it is 6,770 feet. If an aircraft with 150 passengers booked to its capacity tries to land here there are every possibility of a crash," he said.
The Union minister said that the Jammu airport was not suited for the landing of an aircraft facing an emergency.

"I am told that aircrafts coming here have to leave 25 seats vacant as it is dangerous for a loaded aircraft to land here," he said.
Sharma said that the Narendra Modi-led government was committed to fight terrorism in state with tourism.
"The Narendra Modi government is committed to combat terrorism by tourism, defeat terrorism by tourism, he has set a vision to replace the AK-47 holding hands of the youth with employment," he said.
Commenting on the importance of pilgrimage tourism in the state, Sharma said that had there been a pilgrimage destination in Aksai Chin, China would not have been able to lay a hand on the territory.