The Hindu Business Line : International traffic goes up at Mangalore airport

Mangalore, Oct. 2 A link established between Mangalore and Gulf nations a year ago in the form of direct international flights has shown the potential of Mangalore airport as an important destination for international traffic.

International operations from Mangalore airport began on October 3, 2006, with the landing of an Air India Express flight from Dubai in Mangalore on that evening.

Passengers

Between October 2006 and September 2007, nearly 10 per cent of aircraft movements at the airport catered to the needs of 18 per cent of international passengers.

This indicated the fact that there was a demand for international operations from the region, and the facility to operate flights from Mangalore airport to international destinations has proved it correct. Mr M.R. Vasudeva, Airport Director, Airports Authority of India, Mangalore, told Business Line that the airport handled nearly 6-lakh passengers from October to September. Of them, the number of international passengers stood at 1.08 lakh. During the October-September period, the airport witnessed 7,378 aircraft movements. Of them, international traffic constituted 720 movements.

The number of aircraft movements to international destinations, which was six movements a week in October 2006, has now reached to 20 aircraft movements a week.

At present, Air India Express operates flights to Dubai, Bahrain, Muscat and Abu Dhabi from Mangalore. While the passengers have five flights a week to Dubai, they have three flights a week to Bahrain. Air India Express operates one flight each to Muscat and Abu Dhabi every week. Indications are now that the airport will soon witness 34 aircraft movements a week to international destinations.

MORE POTENTIAL

Still some more destinations such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are yet to be connected with Mangalore airport. Various associations of NRIs in the Gulf region are urging the Government to operate flights from Mangalore to these destinations.

In one of the recent statements, Mr Rajesh Sequera, Co-ordinator of the UAE-based Karnataka NRI Forum, had said that airlines such as Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways and Emirates have shown interest in operating to Mangalore. But they are awaiting clearances from the Indian Government in this regard.