The Hindu

Mangalore, Apr 28: The first international flight services from Bajpe airport may start on May 21 if everything goes as discussed at a high-level meeting held at the airport on Thursday.

N Yogish Bhat, MLA, who attended the meeting, told the reporter that it was "very positive". The meeting discussed aspects related to setting up of immigration and customs facilities at the airport. "If everything goes as planned, the first international flight from Bajpe airport will take off on May 21," he said. The Government would cooperate and provide facilities, he said.

The meeting also discussed the need to set up a Police Commissionerate in Mangalore and upgrade the Bajpe police station.

Addressing presspersons before the meeting, Sudhakar Rao, Principal Secretary, to Government, said that the Department of Home Affairs would provide immigration facilities if other basic requirements were met at the airport.

However, Rao said that no compromise would be made with respect to security at the airport while providing immigration facilities. "Immigration facility will be provided at Bajpe airport when AAI is ready to handle international flight operations from the airport," he said.

Air India had sought 15 to 20 days to start its operation from the airport once all facilities were ready.

Air India Express, the low cost airliner of Air India, had proposed starting a Mangalore-Dubai service. According to a tentative schedule, its Boeing 737-800 will arrive here from Dubai at 8.20 pm and take off for Dubai at 9.20 pm.

M R Vasudeva, director, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bajpe airport, Raghavendra Auradkar, Inspector General Police, State Intelligence (Security), H V Parshwanath, Deputy Commissioner, Dakshina Kannada, B Dayananda, Superintendent of Police, Dakshina Kannada, Manuskar Rao, Joint Commissioner, Customs, Mangalore, A Srinivas Rao, president, Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Subbayya Shetty, former president, KCCI, Padmanabha Kamath, general secretary, KCCI, and other officials attended the meeting.