The Hindu Business Line : Plea to develop Mangalore as aviation hub

CAPT J.P. MENEZES, President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, felicitating Dr K. Ramalingam, Chairman of Airports Authority of India, in Mangalore on Wednesday. — R. Eswarraj

Mangalore , Oct. 4

The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has mooted the idea of developing Mangalore as a regional aviation hub.

In a function here on Wednesday to felicitate the Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Dr K. Ramalingam, the KCCI members felt that the Mangalore airport should explore the traffic potential to West Asia and the SAARC countries. Apart from operating more flights to other domestic centres, Mangalore airport should be considered as a tourist transit point for Lakshadweep, they said.

Stating that KCCI has submitted a memorandum to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Praful Patel, in this regard, Capt J.P. Menezes, KCCI President, said Mangalore has the potential to connect all the major airports in West Asia such as Jeddah, Muscat, Bahrain, Doha and Kuwait. This will employ the terminal for all days of the week and enable the passengers of coastal Karnataka and northern Kerala to have regular connectivity to West Asia.

He suggested that Air India Express explore Haj services to Dubai.

Stressing the need for introducing connectivity to the SAARC countries such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka, he said Air India Express could explore the Dubai-Mangalore-Colombo route.

The Mangalore-Agatti route should be studied as a transit point. This will help people in Lakshadweep islands to get better services in medical and educational sectors in Mangalore. Domestic services to Mumbai and Bangalore should originate and conclude at Mangalore itself, Capt Menezes said.

AAI may specify additional land needs to the Karnataka Government for the current and future requirement to help Mangalore airport receive Boeing 747 and Airbus 380 aircraft.

Stating that there has been expression of interest by an NRI hailing from coastal Karnataka for setting up an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility in the country for aircraft operating in India or transiting Indian skies, he said Mangalore should be considered as an MRO point.

TERMINAL WORK SOON

Replying to the felicitation, Dr Ramalingam said that `notice inviting tenders' has been issued for the construction of the new integrated terminal building at Mangalore. "The work on the terminal building will begin from January, if everything goes according to the plan. In 18-19 months, the terminal should come up," he said.

Dr K. Ramalingam, Regional Executive Director, AAI,Mr K. Narasimha Prabhu, KCCI Vice-President, and Mr Rajesh Sequera, Coordinator of Karnataka NRI Forum, Dubai, were present on the occasion.

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