‘Close blinds’ order on J&K flights
NEWDELHI: Flights operating from the three airports in Jammu and Kashmir -- Jammu, Srinagar, and Leh -- have been keeping their window shades down during take-off and landing.
This is being done to avoid details of the deployment of assets such as fighters and surveillance platforms from leaking, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. Officials in the civil aviation ministry said the airlines were advised to follow the practice soon after India’s air strike on a base of the Jaish-e-mohammed (JEM) terror group inside Pakistan on February 26.
“The cabin crew were coming to every seat and checking if the window shades were down, just as they check for seat belts. Being a frequent flier, I kept it open knowing it has to be kept open during take-off and landing. I was surprised when the crew asked me to close it. I tried to ask them why, but they only said there was a directive,” said a passenger who recently travelled from Jammu.
The Indian Air Force did not offer a comment. Officials at major airlines confirmed that they were following the directive, but refused to come on record. Hindustan Times could not confirm whether all airlines were following this directive.
“Deployments of fighters and other assets are top secret, more so when there is an Op-alert (Operational Alert). Indian forces were put on an alert and full “AirDefence Alert” minutes after Indian fighters hit the JEM camp in Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on 26 February,” a senior ministry of defence (MOD) official said on condition of anonymity.
The Leh airstrip is a critical airstrip for IAF. It is the northernmost airport where fighters can be deployed and has a critical role in protecting incoming threats. Jammu and Srinagar air bases