International airport tag will help Mangalore to
attract private carriers, according to M.R. Vasudeva, Airport Director,
Airports Authority of India, Mangalore.
Speaking at a ‘meet-the-press’ programme
organised by the Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists’ Union here on
Thursday, he said that three-four private airlines may start operating from
Mangalore to Gulf destinations by March 2013.
Though there may not be a sudden jump in
passenger numbers immediately, the airport should see good growth in passenger
movements by 2013-14, he said. The airport handled 9.30 lakh passengers during
2011-12.
Some of the foreign carriers have shown interest
in operating from Mangalore to destinations such as Dubai, he said. At present,
Air India Express is the only carrier that connects Mangalore with Gulf
destinations.
The October 4 Cabinet meeting had taken a
decision to accord international airport status to Mangalore. Mangalore airport
was declared a Customs aerodrome in May 2006. This enabled the airport to
operate international flights to Gulf destinations.
To a query on domestic flights, Vasudeva said
Jet Airways will operate a morning flight to Mumbai from October 28.
With this, the total number of daily flights by
different carriers from Mangalore to Mumbai will increase to five.
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