City Punjab air link fight.

Byline: Gregg Evans 

A CAMPAIGN has been launched to lobby for direct flights between Birmingham and the Punjab in India.

At present the only way to get to Amritsar in northern India is via Heathrow Airport.

Now a petition, started by long-term campaigner Jas Sansi, is calling for the direct flight to be restored after it was cancelled by Air India in October 2008. The campaign has been backed by city council leader Mike Whitby.

Bilateral agreements between the Indian and UK governments currently restrict who can operate flights between the two countries.

After signing the petition, Coun Whitby vowed to support the campaign, starting with a visit to India to meet with the country's civil aviation minister.

"There is little doubt that there is huge demand for flights to be reinstated from Birmingham to the Punjab," he said.

"The connection is key to our status as a global city and the impact will bring long-term benefits to every citizen, business and community within the city regardless of ethnicity."

Mr Sansi said the move would not only benefit the Indian community, but also the city as a whole and the environment.

"There is a demand, there is a need, there is a desire and there is a way," he said.

"We're not calling for loads of flights. We just want this to be re-instated. It will benefit the environment because there will be less people making long journeys down to Heathrow. "Air India pulled out of Birmingham to protect their slot at Heathrow, but we don't mind what airline provides a flight."

Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said that it was a "no-brainer" to have direct services from Birmingham because of its large Indian population. Also among those backing the petition was Birmingham-born singer Apache Indian, and the Indian overseas congress president, Daljit Singh Sahota.

OUR SAY: PAGE 14

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Fight for the flight: (From left) Avtar Kang, Coun Mike Whitby, Daljit Singh Sahota and Jas Sansi with the petition.