The Hindu
- District administration failed to provide transportation
- Some passengers hired taxis at the airport to their destinations
- AAI officials dropped 30 passengers to Mangalore railway station
Mangalore, Oct 9: Passengers who arrived in Air India Express from Dubai at the Bajpe airport on Saturday evening suffered owing to the implications of curfew imposed on Mangalore city and Ullal police limits yesterday.
The district administration failed to provide them any transportation as promised. At this point on humanitarian grounds the Airports Authority of India (AAI) pressed its vehicles to service to transport Kerala-bound passengers to Mangalore central railway station. Of 185 passengers who landed at the airport from West Asia a majority of them were non-resident Indians (NRIs) from the State and neighbouring Kerala. Some passengers hired approximately 40 taxis available at the airport and traveled to their destinations under fear. For a little distance the taxis travelled under the supervision of police and Central Industrial Security Force personnel.
The AAI officials dropped approximately 30 passengers to Mangalore railway station on Saturday. M. R. Vasudeva, director, Bajpe airport, himself went to the railway station along with the flight passengers to ensure their safety.
No trains
As there was no train to Kerala at that time all those passengers boarded an early morning train (on Sunday) to Kerala.
The communal violence that broke out in Mangalore greeted the NRIs who had arrived to Mangalore in the third trip of Air India Express between Mangalore and Dubai.
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