Flight out of Srinagar

When flying out of Srinagar you will be required to endure a few more airport checks than normal. It goes something like this, a couple of kilometers before the airport building, taxis will have to go through a waiting area with small buildings that house baggage screening machines, all your luggage must be offloaded, sent through the screens and reloaded in the taxi.

Once at the airport again an armed military officer will require your printed flight itinerary and passport/ID before getting you're baggage screened before getting the usual pat down search, males and female separately as in all airports in India. Once this is done, your baggage is strapped up with a strapping machine.

Due to security reasons all flights from Srinagar do not allow carry on luggage with the exception of laptops, cameras and money. We were sent back to the screening because we had some souvenirs. Once your luggage is sent through, laptop/camera/handbags have to be checked once again before two more pat down checks....despite all of this, the process is systematic and may only take an extra 30 minutes at most so be a bit earlier and have no unnecessary baggage(no one likes extra baggage)

Like before Srinagar's airport is very basic. Apart from a handful of general shops and a single 2m x 2m cafeteria, plenty of seating with a few birds that have somehow made themselves inside, they also went through all those security checks if you are wondering... while waiting for our flight to Delhi we watched them slipping and sliding as they walk on the shiny porcelain floors.