Runway Extension Mandatory to vie with Neighbour Airports: M R Vasudeva
Pics: Savitha B R
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Feb 16: M R Vasudeva, director of Mangalore Airport at a ‘Meet the Press’ programme held at Press Club here on Tuesday February 15 briefed about the initial days of Mangalore Airport, and said that airport started its operation with one wireless system, one control tower, and a communication navigation system for guidance now is a full-fledged modernized airport.
Pointing out the merits of Mangalore airport, Vasudeva said that the airport is one of the 35 non metro airports in India, and handled 8.5 lac passengers this year.
Further speaking he said that airport is the asset of people of Mangalore, surely the airport will see developmental projects in near future though runway extension work which was commenced in 2006 has seen a quite long delay. He said that the airport authority alone can not celebrate its birthday of its own, but incase KCCI and other representative bodies come forward it can be celebrated in a grand manner. It can be a local level celebration and not as national attention grabbing since there are many such airports celebrating their anniversaries across the country, he reasoned.
Stating about the future plans, Vasudeva said that Mangalore airport’s development is interlinked with other infrastructure development such as industries, buildings, high class hotels, good road among others. Rs. 207 crore has been invested for the development of the airport, so far and the government has sanctioned Rs. 22 crore for land acquisition purposes. Runway extension is mandatory to vie with neighbor airports, he stressed.
Guruvappa T Balepuni, the general secretary of Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists’ Association was present on the occasion.