LEH: Severe weather conditions over the past two days have led to the cancellation of 46 inbound and outbound flights at Leh Airport, leaving approximately 6,500 passengers stranded across Ladakh and sparking concerns among tourism stakeholders.
In response, the Administrative Secretary of the Tourism Department, UT of Ladakh, Vikram Singh Malik, IAS, convened an urgent virtual meeting with officials from the Airport Authority of India (AAI), CISF, airline representatives, and local tourism bodies to address the fallout of the large-scale disruption.
Airline representatives assured the administration that additional flights are being arranged to accommodate all stranded passengers within the next 48 hours. Priority is being given to senior citizens, patients, and foreign tourists, while rescheduling options are being extended based on individual passenger preferences.
The Tourism Secretary directed the AAI and CISF to deploy additional personnel to manage airport operations and assist stranded passengers. He also made a public appeal to hotels and taxi operators not to exploit the situation and instead offer fair lodging and transport without inflated rates.
Concerned about the situation in Nubra Valley, Malik sought a status report from the SDM of Nubra and instructed him to extend all necessary assistance to tourists currently stuck in the region. He also directed the Director of Tourism to widely publicise helpline numbers to provide real-time support and information to travellers.
Tourism service providers have been urged to offer full cooperation during the disruption, including fair refund processing and consideration for future bookings in line with existing policies for weather-related cancellations.
The administration has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the interests of tourists and ensuring a swift return to normalcy as weather conditions stabilise.
