Dream realized: Mangalore-Dammam flight takes off
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (VM)
Update: 5.12 pm
Mangalore, Apr 3: The Air India Express flight to Dhahran International Airport near Dammam took off at 5 pm from Mangalore International Airport, thus realizing the dreams of thousands of Mangaloreans.
The first direct flight has 165 passengers on board.
The flight will reach Dhahran in four-and-a-half hours.
Update: 4.35 pm
Mangalore, Apr 3: The Air India Express flight from Calicut has landed at Mangalore International Airport. In less than half an hour, the first flight to Dammam from Mangalore will take off.
There are 109 passengers from Calicut. Another 56 will board the flight from Mangalore.
First Update - 3.18pm, IST
Mangalore-Dammam flight: Thrilled passengers keenly await take-off
Mangalore, Apr 3: The long-cherished dream of thousands of Mangaloreans is all set to come true with the direct flight from Mangalore to Saudi Arabia less than two hours away from take-off from the Mangalore International Airport.
The flight is scheduled to take off at 5 pm and land at Dhahran International Airport near Dammam after a four-and-a-half hours of journey.
There are altogether 165 passengers travelling, including 109 from Calicut and 56 from Mangalore. The flight will take off from Calicut at 3.05 pm and land in Mangalore airport at 4 pm.
Speaking to daijiworld, Air India Express station manager Melwyn D'Silva said, "Today we are starting a direct flight to Dammam. It was a long-standing wish of the people. There has been very good response, with flights being fully booked for almost a month."
He also said that Air India Express has achieved 95 percent ontime performance, and has received much appreciation for its services. "We started with three flights per week in 2006, and presently we are operating 24 international flights and 13 domestic flights - 37 in all. These include flighs from Mangalore to Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and now to Dammam."
He also informed that MP Jayaprakash Hegde and MLA U T Khader will be flying as passengers in the inaugural flight.
Hyder Ali, a passenger from Maddur speaking to daijiworld said that he has been working in Saudi for the past 12 years. "I come down to my native once every year. Till now I had to take the connecting flight from Mumbai which was highly time consuming as I had to first catch bus or train from here. I am very happy about the direct flight now," he said.
Another passenger, Prakash Pereira said that he was going to Saudi on visit visa for the first time. "This is my first visit to Saudi, and I feel really lucky to be part of the first Air India Express direct flight to Dammam," he said.
Laveena D'Souza, who has been staying in Dammam with her husband and children for past 13 years, said that she was on her way there with her son Flanish and daughter Fiona. "Every time we used to take connecting flights from Bahrain, Mumbai or Dubai. In Mumbai we had to change from domestic to international airport and would get only one hour on hand. This facility of direct flight to Dammam is too good," she told daijiworld.
Ansbert D'Souza, chief operating officer of Air India Express also conveyed his warm wishes.
Airport director Radhakrishna and Airport manager for Air India Sudhir Bhat were present.