Big boost for Mangalore airport

Praful Patel, Union minister of state for civil aviation, will inaugurate the new integrated terminal building at Mangalore airport on Saturday.

Patel will inaugurate the terminal in the presence of chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, union law and justice minister M Veerappa Moily, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes, minister Krishna J Palemar, MLA Abhayachandra Jain, city mayor Rajani Dugganna and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president RV Deshpande.

The new, fully air-conditioned terminal can handle 500 passengers at a time in its arrival and department lounges.It is equipped with 28 check-in counters and customs and immigration checks, air-conditioned aerobridge, inline baggage X-ray system, seven  escalators, seven lifts, a VIP lounge, parking facility for 300 cars, a restaurant, etc.At present, five aircraft can be parked at the terminal. Once it becomes fully operational, the terminal will be able to accommodate eight aircraft.Mangalore airport is completing four years of operating international flights.Busy scheduleTwenty-six domestic flights take off from the Mangalore airport and 52 international flights to Middle East are operated every week.There are no direct cargo flights from Mangalore. The cargo booked from the airport is routed through Bangalore.It is expected that the start of cargo flights from Mangalore would give a boost for jasmine flower cultivation in the city.