The civil aviation ministry has approved a proposal for operating flights between Srinagar and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir -- a move that will help the residents of the mountain-locked town connect to rest of the world, an official said Monday.

As per an IANS report, sources in the civil aviation ministry said the ministry and Air India officials met the state government representatives last week, and decided to start the service at the earliest.

Air India will operate small aircraft on the route, especially during the winter months when the close of Zojilla pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway leaves the entire Ladakh division cut off from rest of the world for almost six months.

Kargil, in Ladakh division, was in the news in the summer of 1999 when Pakistani troops entered into the Indian side and occupied the bunkers overlooking the strategic 434-km long Srinagar-Leh highway. The Indian troops took 50 days to evict the Pakistanis from the Himalayan heights.

While there are air services between Srinagar-Leh, Jammu-Leh and Delhi-Leh, there are no services for the people of Kargil. The residents of Kargil have been persistently demanding start of air service to the town.