The Hindu

MANGALORE, Jan 6: A Russian charter flight landed at Bajpe (Mangalore) Airport here on Saturday. It will be parked at the airport for one week.

The flight, Tuplov 154 or TU154, arrived here at 8.30 a.m. after first landing at Goa Airport with tourists from Russia. After the tourists disembarked at Goa Airport, the flight arrived here with nine crew members. It will depart from here at 2 a.m. on January 11 to Goa Airport to pick up the tourists and then leave for Russia, M.R. Vasudeva, director, Mangalore Airport, told The Hindu. The flight arrived here since the parking slots at Goa Airport were full. It was the first international flight being parked at Mangalore Airport for such a long duration. “The Airports Authority of India will get approximately Rs. 1 lakh from this aircraft for parking for one week, including, parking fee at Rs. 10,000 a day, Rs. 17,000 landing fee (one time payment), and RNF charges of Rs. 7,400,”  Vasudeva said.

Vasudeva said that at present, four parking slots were available at Bajpe airport. Kumble Narasimha Prabhu, president, Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said that more charter flights could be attracted to Mangalore to promote tourism, provided requisite infrastructure in the region was developed. “The KCCI will organise a seminar on tourism here on January 21 to discuss the tourism related subjects, including infrastructure,” he said.

Sources at the airport said a number of charter flights arrive at Goa Airport, especially during summer. Tour operators in Mangalore and tourism authorities could make efforts to attract such touristshere.