Srinagar : The J&K government launched an air safari service which will enable them to visit destinations in quick time and in greater comfort.This is for the first time that the state has launched an air service to destinations like Sonmarg, Pahalgam, Nunkun Peak, Gulmarg, Kargil and Leh.

          

            The air safari with space for 11 tourists would operate every day from the Srinagar airport.State tourism minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, Italian Ambassador to India Antonio Armellini, his wife and the councillor of Italy were aboard the inaugural flight.

           Mir said a batch of Pakistani tourists is expected to visit the valley in September and avail of this facility.He said he wanted that tourists from all the parts of the world were allowed to move freely on their own rather than as part of conducted tours.

            SITA Travels, a leading travel agency in the country, has taken itself the task of bringing Pakistani tourists to the Kashmir valley, the minister said."Let them come, move freely and visit the places they want to," he said.