Air India Launches Twice-a-Week Flights From Lucknow to Iraq’s Najaf, Rajnath Singh Flags Off Inaugural Trip
Air India on Thursday launched twice-a-week flights between Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow and the spiritual city of Najaf in Iraq via Delhi from Thursday.
Lucknow, February 14: Air India on Thursday launched twice-a-week flights between Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow and the spiritual city of Najaf in Iraq via Delhi from today. Home Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the inaugural flight from the capital city. Singh was accompanied by UP Ministers Brajesh Pathak and Mohsin Raza, and Shia Clerics Maulana Kalbe Jawwad and Maulana Yasoob Abbas. Air India Starts Flying with Logo of Mahatma Gandhi to Commemorate his 150th Birth Anniversary.
Speaking on the event, Singh, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Lucknow, said that government wants air connectivity even in the remotest area of the country. He added that under the UDAN scheme, the number of airports in the country has reached 100 and government wants to facilitate air travel to every person. Air India to Commence Services to Najaf on Feb 14.
Rajnath Singh flags off inaugural flight from Lucknow to Najaf:
This move from the national carrier will help the Shia population in the state and their demand for the direct fight was pending for a long time. Najaf or an-Najaf al-Ashraf is a city located in Iraq, which has spiritual significance mainly for Shia Muslims. The twice-a-week flight will operate on Mondays and Thursdays.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 14, 2019 04:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).