Snowfall in Kashmir valley disrupts flight operations

All flights to and from Srinagar airport in Kashmir were cancelled on Sunday due to snowfall in the valley, officials said here.

The snowfall, which began late Saturday night, had stopped briefly early in the morning, allowing clearance of the runway.

"However, the snowfall started again before any flights could operate," an official of the Airport Authority of India said, adding that "all the flights have been cancelled for the day due to bad weather at Srinagar".

In a statement issued in Mumbai, private carrier IndiGo said six of its flights -- four to Srinagar and two to Leh -- were cancelled due to bad weather.

"Due to a drastic change in the weather conditions, the runway at Srinagar and Leh have been closed. This has led to the cancellation of four IndiGo flights to Srinagar and two IndiGo flights to Leh," the statement said.

The airline said while the passengers were informed about the cancellation, they have also been provided with options "to avail a full refund, travel to an alternate sector or reschedule the flight".

The plains of Kashmir are witnessing moderate snowfall while heavy snowfall has been reported in the higher reaches of the valley. Snow clearance operations are being carried out since early hours to ensure that the roads are traffic worthy.

Authorities have advised motorists to drive carefully in view of the slippery roads.