Civil aviation minister Praful Patel hints at sops for airlines that opt for airports in Tier-II cities.
Mangalore has its own ‘international airport’ with the inauguration of the New Integrated International Terminal (NITB) on Saturday. On Friday, the terminal was dedicated to the nation during a ceremony at Bajpe Airport. In terms of technology integration, the NITB is a notch higher than the Bangalore International Airport (BIA).
“The amount of Rs160 crore that was released for the Mangalore airport three years ago was well spent and looking at the developments, I have no choice but to grant another Rs100 crore for the airport’s expansion,” said civil aviation minister Praful Patel.
However, he said the ‘international airport’ tag would have to be approved by the Union cabinet. If approved, it will become Karnataka’s second international airport. Patel hinted at additional sops for airlines using airports in Mangalore, Mysore and other Tier-II cities.
Mangalore International Airport general manager Peter Abraham said every operation at the airport is compatible with international standards. The NITB is situated next to the old, upgraded terminal in Kenjar. As compared to the terminal in Bajpe, the NITB is 8km closer to Mangalore city as Kenjar is directly accessible from the state highway.
The terminal has modern facilities such as aerobridges, spacious baggage clearance area and streamlined baggage handling. The departure area has a new lounge and has facilities such as a cafeteria, upgraded waiting area with Wi-Fi connectivity, banking facilities, elevators, etc. Today at the airport, 32 flights land and take off every day, with 2,500 passengers passing through. But will airlines begin services from Mangalore to global destinations?
Airport Authority of India authorities have said Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways, Air India Express and Air India Regional are operating routes to Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, Dubai and Muscat. The city is also connected to the US, UK, Australia and other countries via BIA.
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