The Hindu Business Line : Direct service to Abu Dhabi from Mangalore begins

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Mangalore Feb. 16 Mangalore airport is now connected with two more international destinations - Abu Dhabi and Muscat. The inaugural flight from these destinations landed in Mangalore on Thursday night.

The flight from Muscat landed at Mangalore airport at 10 p.m. and took off to Abu Dhabi at 11.05 p.m. This flight operates every Thursday and Saturday.

The first international flight service began from Mangalore on October 3, 2006 with the operation of an Air India Express flight on the Dubai-Mangalore-Dubai sector.

Four months later, Air India Express has begun service on the Abu Dhabi-Muscat-Mangalore and Mangalore-Abu Dhabi-Muscat routes.

Mr B.R. Shetty, Managing Director and CEO of the New Medical Centre (NMC) in Abu Dhabi, Mr Sudhir Shetty, General Manager of NMC, and Mr Rajesh Sequeira, Co-ordinator of the Karnataka NRI Forum, arrived by the inaugural flight. Mr M.R. Vasudeva, Airport Director, welcomed the passengers on the occasion.

Air India Express has been operating flights on Dubai-Mangalore-Dubai sector every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

The increase in the number of international flights from Mangalore will help many NRIs from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts and parts of northern Kerala, as many people from these regions are working in the Gulf.

Mr Sequeira told Business Line that the West Coast NRI Forum and the United Association of Karnataka in Kuwait, in co-ordination with the Karnataka NRI Forum, are now focusing on Dammam and Kuwait sectors.