Mangalore, May 22:
Passenger handling at
Mangalore airport witnessed 20 per cent growth in the first four months of
2012.
The airport handled
3.21 lakh passengers in the first four months of calendar year 2012, against
2.68 lakh passengers in the corresponding period of 2011, registering a growth
of 19.87 per cent.
Speaking to Business
Line, Mr M. R. Vasudeva, Airport Director, Airports Authority of India,
Mangalore, attributed this growth to Mangalore's connectivity with more
locations.
Mangalore airport is
now directly connected with locations such as Hyderabad and Chennai. The
connectivity between Mangalore and Hyderabad is attracting more passengers, he
said.
International
operations from Mangalore airport began in October 2006. The Indian population
in West Asia contributes more than one-fourth to the total passenger handling
at the airport.
International passengers
The airport — which is
connected to locations such as Dubai, Muscat, Kuwait among others — handled
86,544 passengers from January-April 2012. This contributed 27 per cent to the
total passengers handled at Mangalore airport.
In the first four
months of 2011, the airport handled 79,469 international passengers,
contributing 29.61 per cent to the total traffic during that period.
Mr Vasudeva said the
number of international passengers handled at the airport is 7000 more compared
to the first four months of 2011.
Mr Rajesh Sequera,
co-ordinator of the UAE-based Karnataka NRI Forum, said direct connections
between Mangalore and locations in West Asia have helped save time for
passengers. This helped increase international passenger traffic.
Stressing the need for
a direct connection between Mangalore and Saudi Arabia, he said it would
further increase the air traffic from Mangalore.
However, he said more
international airlines should be connected with Mangalore. For this, Mangalore
should be declared as an international airport, he added.
Mangalore airport is a
customs aerodrome with permission to handle international flights.
The total number of
passengers handled at the airport increased from 6.74 lakh in 2007 to 8.47 lakh
in 2011.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/article3446403.ece
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