Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Mangalore: Air India Express sets up Counter in Bajpe Airport

Daijiworld News Network – Mangalore (VM)

Mangalore Aug 29: The Air India Express Dubai-Mangalore flight is likely to take off in the first week of October.

While sources have informed Daijiworld that the international flight will begin operations on October 2, Air India Express on Tuesday, Aug 29 has already set up its counter at the Bajpe Airport.

Air India Express took over the counter two months back and on Tuesday they have set up a counter and have also put up a board at the airport.

The flights will operate on three days a week (Monday, Saturday and Thursday).

Airport officials have also expressed that the flight operations is likely to begin on October 23, however no official correspondence has taken place between the airport authorities and Air India Express.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Mangalore:International Flights to Mangalore Likely in October, says Vasudeva

Daijiworld News Network – Mangalore (VM)
Mangalore Aug 25: Air India Express is likely to begin international flight operations between Dubai-Mangalore in the first week of October informed according to airport director M R Vasudeva.
This was announced during programme organized by Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Sky Bus Project at the KCCI Exim Facilitation Centre here on Thursday Aug 24.
Aiming at beginning international flights to Mangalore in the first week of October, Air India Express has been preparing the ground, said Vasudeva, adding that the exact dates for the flight operation will be announced in a week’s time.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Mangalore Airport: A Dream Never Come True?

by Walter NandalikeEditor-in-chief

Dubai, : Reading the above headline you may feel a little disappointed, but that is not the intention of this write-up. The dream would have come true long back if leaders of Dakshina Kannada had worked honestly towards the benefit of the NRIs. Sadly, it did not happen.
As widely expected, H D Kumaraswamy, the honorable Chief minister of Karnataka, while on a private picnic to Dubai about three months ago, had said, even before being posed the question, that "within 30 days I will see that Mangalore will have direct flight from Dubai!" Some thirty days!
Mangaloreans did not see the direct flight, but within a month Kumaraswamy saw ‘Ganikappa!’ (the mining bribery scandal).
The hopes were already bleak because daijiworld readers were fed up with such promises having come earlier right from former PM Deve Gowda, former CM Bangarappa, former CM Veerappa Moily, former deputy CM Siddaramaiah...and many others.
Aviation specialist and NRI Karnataka Forum coordinator Rajesh Sequeira, with no political support and no godfather has burnt a hole in his own pocket by spending quite a large amount on this mission (No sponsors!), and an enormous amount of resources, time and energy.
An important breakthrough was declaration of Mangalore Airport as a Customs Airport. Indeed this was a big victory on the way for the fight for an International status for the Bajpe airport.
Rajesh, who does not want to break the silence for a few days, has strongly hinted that a remarkable breakthrough has been achieved and it will be disclosed just at the right time so that no one will foil the plan, and even if it does not materialize due to some reason, no one will blame him for giving 'false hopes'. He has learnt to be diplomatic these days.
Now hopes have been kindled in the hearts of Mangaloreans in Dubai with the thought that Air India has given a slot to Mangalore airport during the winter season. Air India does not want to confirm this news officially now, because they have been embarrassed with the earlier announcement of dates which were unfortunately not realized. On the other hand they do not want to deny either that they are ready to fly from Winter season
A private chartered plane was set to fly from Sharjah some time ago. A leading Dubai FM radio advertised extensively for a month about this news. Finally this too could not take off. The reason was that the plane was too old to fly. Thank God, it did not fly!
Well, the purpose of this update is, we at Daijiworld are being flooded with a number of messages every day. Some people ask questions as if Daijiworld is responsible for operating the flights! But we feel proud because they depend on us for the authentic and latest information and they place immense trust in us.
In the meantime, we would like to remind the readers that efforts are on, and no one has lost hopes. And our hopes are very much alive. And the day first flight hovers over Mangalore, perhaps a long-awaited mission will have been completed.
Just start counting days from today on !

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Bhatkal: NRI West Coast Fourm (Dubai) Demands International Status for Mangalore Airport

Daijiworld News Network - Uttara Kannada (GA)
Bhatkal, Aug 2: "Considering the needs of NRIs the union government should take adequate and immediate steps to upgrade the Mangalore airport to international status at least by the end of August, 2006," said Mohammad Farook Shabandri, president of NRI West Coast Forum, Dubai.
He was speaking at a press conference at the Rabita Society here recently. He said that upgradation of Mangalore airport to international status would be beneficial to more than 2 lac NRIs working in Gulf and Middle-East countries.
He also disclosed that the forum had submitted an appeal to the union government last year which was signed by more than 10,000 NRIs. "Moreover, a delegation of the forum had met the Prime Minister, civil aviation minister and the chief minister of the state in this regard and had appealed them to upgrade the Mangalore airport. But nothing much is done in this regard either by the union or state government," he regretted.
He added that while the neigbouring state of Kerala has 4 international airports, Karnataka does not have a single international airport. "Kerala is all set to get one more international airport. Mangalore airport is ready, technically as well as traffic wise, to get international status. But owing to some unknown factors airport is not being granted international status," he said.
Rabita society secretary Zaheed Ruknuddin and Aftab were also present at the press conference.