Dubai – Mangalore Daily Flights from Oct 28 : Booking Opens, Timing Changes
Daijiworld Media Network
Dubai, Sep 19: Air India Express as promised in their previous meeting with Karnataka NRI forum has announced 7 flights a week schedule which will be effective from Saturday October 28, 2007. Looking at the rapid growth in the passenger traffic in Dubai–Mangalore destination, additional flights have been announced to meet heavy demand from NRIs in Dubai-based in Mangalore and Northern Malabar.
The flight schedule of Winter season is also changed. The Dubai flight will take-off at 1.35pm hours local time (UAE time) and arrive at Mangalore Airport at 6.35 pm IST. The return flight will take-off at 12.00 noon and arrive at Dubai International Airport terminal 2 around 2.10 pm UAE time.
The schedule has been already included in the online bookings. Passengers can avail online booking facility through www.airindiaexpress.in.
Mangalore Airport is now on the international map, thanks to the steps taken by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and various other agencies. As we are witnessing the developments taking in Mangalore, Mangalore Airport has to gear up for the future developments.
Rajesh Sequeira, coordinator of Karnataka NRI Forum which is a body of 40 different organisations in West Asia, had been in Mangalore recently. He urged Airports authority through a media release to expand the departure hall to accommodate more passengers.
Since pressure on Bajpe Airport would increase by 2007-end with the increase in flights already operating to West Asia from Mangalore, there is a dire need to expand the departure hall. The space available at the present at the departure hall may not be enough to handle the passenger traffic.
In addition, the forum has urged the government and AAI to take the following steps immediately in the interest of Bajpe airport:
• Customs and immigration authorities should provide manpower at the airport for 24-hour operations.
• Mangalore Airport should be declared customs airport for handling cargo
• Customs should procure new X- Ray baggage machines
• AAI should expedite construction of new terminal building for which the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel laid the foundation stone as early as on October 3, 2006.
• Extension of the runway should be done so that bigger aircraft could land at Bajpe. For this Government of Karnataka should hand over the land required for AAI. If the runway is expanded, bigger aircraft could land to cater the needs of Mangalore which has been registering growth in every sphere by leaps and bounds in recent times.
The government of Karnataka has sanctioned land to develop airports at Mysore and Gulbarga to an extent of 700 acres so far, but not to Mangalore Airport. At least 300 acres of land should be provided so that overall development could be taken up at Bajpe.
Airlines like Air Arabia, Jazeera airways, Emirates, Air Lanka, etc. have shown keen interest in operating to Mangalore but are awaiting clearances from the Government of India. Once these airlines operate there would be more connectivity not only from gulf but from far eastern countries too.
Mangalore Airport - Complete Coverage