International Status to Mangalore Airport: Another Promise Broken
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Dec 20: Exactly a month ago, on November 20, M Veerappa Moily had assured Mangaloreans of international status to Mangalore Airport. Come December 21, and yet another promise will go unfilfilled.
Mangalore Airport will be marking its diamond jubilee on Wednesday December 21. After Moily's promise, which had come in such clear terms that there was hardly any scope for doubt, Mangaloreans had been waiting eagerly for the formal announcement. Moily on his November 20 visit to the city had in fact stated that all was ready and only the announcement was pending, which was expected in a few days' time.
However, the 'days' have turned into a month, and still there is no sign of international status to the airport.
Speaking to Daijiworld, Moily explained that everything was indeed ready, and the proposal was to be tabled in the winter session of the Parliament. However, at the last moment the civil aviation minister was changed, and Ajit Singh took over the mantle from Vayalar Ravi, and hence the process was affected. Now, the proposal will be introduced in the next session of the Parliament, Moily said.
That means, Mangaloreans will have to wait for a few more months for the dream to come true, and there will be no 'diamond jubilee gift' that many were hoping for.
The airport was inaugurated on December 21, 1951 with a maiden flight carrying MP Srinivas Mallya and PM Jawaharlal Nehru. The length of the runway was about 3,000 feet, suitable for operation of smaller aircraft. The airport witnessed no improvement for 20 years, and then the existing runway was increased by 2,000 feet in 1971 and again to 5,330 feet during 1981–82. The process of laying a concrete second runway began in 1989 and was completed in 2006.
The airport saw its maiden international flight to Dubai in October 2006. Thereafter, it saw rapid changes and advancement, with a new terminal building being inaugurated in 2010.
Mangalore Airport is currently a domestic customs airport with permission to operate only a few international flights, to west Asia. The proposal to grant the status of international airport has been in limbo for quite a while now with organisations, NRI forums and local politicians making constant demands, but despite several promises, it remains a dream. With the 2010 Air India crash that took 158 lives, the prospect was badly hit as concerns were raised about its safety, and the then aviation minister Praful Patel announced a 're-look' into the proposal. However, Vayalar Ravi in October this year promised to grant the status 'soon', followed by Moily setting the December 21 as deadline.
The wait, however, is still on.
The Promise: