Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jan 20: It is gathered that the board of directors of Airports Authority of India has cleared the project of constructing a parallel runway between the old airport in Bajpe and new airport terminal at Kenjar here. The cost of this project will be Rs 45.3 crore, which will be entirely borne by the authority. The new runway will be about two km long.

At present, a taxiway that is about 250 metres long, exists between these two airports. The aircrafts, after touchdown, move on the taxi way towards the new terminal. Even the flights leaving the airport are using the same route. Therefore, for a period of 15 minutes from the time an aircraft touches down, no new flights can take off from the airport. If a new taxiway is built, the aircrafts can touch down and take off within a gap of two minutes.

Tenders will be called soon, and the new runway is expected to be completed by 2013. Once completed, it promises to result in the complete changeover of the local airport.

In the meanwhile, tender has been called for civil works amounting to Rs 35 lac to convert old airport into cargo airport. By April this year, civil works are slated to be completed, it is learnt.